By Chris Ruddick
Los Angeles Dodgers (4-2) at Philadelphia Phillies (5-2), 8:07 p.m.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Los Angeles - Randy Wolf (0-0, 4.91) Philadelphia - Joe Blanton (1-0, 1.10)
Joe Blanton makes his first start of the postseason this evening, when the Philadelphia Phillies try to put the Los Angeles Dodgers on the brink of elimination in Game 4 of the best-of-seven National League Championship Series at Citizens Bank Park.
Blanton was solid for the Phils this season, going 12-8 with a 4.05 earned run average. He hasn't started since October 2, though, having pitched out of the bullpen in the NLDS.
The right-hander is 1-0 with a 2.88 ERA in four starts versus the Dodgers. He did not get a decision in Game 4 of the NLCS last year against LA, but surrendered three runs in five innings of his team's 7-5 victory.
Blanton's last postseason start came in Game 4 of last year's World Series, but is remembered more for his home run in that game than the fact that he gave up two runs in six innings.
"Hopefully we'll be able to have 'Joe The Lumber' and 'Joe The Arm' out there [Monday]," Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins said.
Philadelphia can only hope that Blanton delivers the way Cliff Lee did in Game 3 on Sunday. Lee pitched eight scoreless innings of three-hit ball and Shane Victorino hit a three-run homer to cap a torrid offensive night for the Phillies, who dealt the Dodgers an 11-0 drubbing.
Lee (2-0) was brilliant in his start, striking out 10 and walking none to get the win. In three starts this postseason, he has been outstanding for the Phillies, allowing only two earned runs in 24 1/3 innings for a 0.74 ERA. The left-hander, who the Phillies acquired from Cleveland in July, has also struck out 20 and walked only three.
"When you've got the offense that we've got, I don't want to go out there and walk guys and have long innings and stuff like that," Lee said. "I've got to go out there and attack hitters and throw strikes and give our offense a chance to score runs. Tonight we did that pretty early and made things a lot easier for me."
The Phillies scored six runs off Los Angeles starter Hiroki Kuroda (0-1) in the first two innings. Kuroda lasted only 1 1/3 frames before being pulled.
Victorino finished with two hits and two walks, while Jayson Werth hit a two- run homer and Ryan Howard hit a two-run triple for Philadelphia. Carlos Ruiz continued his hot postseason, going 2-for-3 with a walk and run batted in.
Howard is the first player in major league history to record an RBI in seven consecutive playoff games in the same year. Lou Gehrig recorded an RBI in eight consecutive playoff games that spanned from 1928-32.
"He couldn't pick a better time to hit good," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "It's outstanding. Keep it up."
Manny Ramirez had two hits for the Dodgers, who had only one runner reach second base the entire game.
Los Angeles will pin its hopes tonight on lefty Randy Wolf, who was 11-7 with a 3.23 ERA in the season.
Wolf won six of his last seven decisions in the regular season, earning him the start in Game 1 of the NLDS. However, he did not get out of the fourth inning in that one, as he allowed two runs, six hits and walked five batters in 3 2/3 innings of his first-ever postseason appearance.
Wolf, of course, is very familiar with Philadelphia. An original second-round pick of the Phillies in 1997, he pitched the first nine years of his career in Philadelphia.
He is just 1-1 with a 4.42 ERA in three starts against his old club.
This is the first NLCS rematch since Houston and St. Louis met in 2004 and '05, and only the third repeat series since Atlanta and Pittsburgh squared off in 1991 and '92.
Philadelphia needed five games to get past the Dodgers a year ago en route to capturing its first World Series title since 1980. This will actually be the fifth time these teams are meeting in the postseason. The Phils beat Los Angeles in 1983 to advance to the World Series, while the Dodgers defeated Philadelphia the first two times they met (1977-78).
Los Angeles won the season series with the Phils, 4-3, as it took two of three at Citizens Bank Park and split four games at Chavez Ravine.
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