Dodgers stumble against Chad Billingsley and the Phillies in 7-2 loss
Philadelphia pitcher Chad Billingsley throws against the Dodgers on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.
They play these games over and over during the course of six months, so every once in a while any team is going to suffer its share of little indignities.
The Dodgers did Tuesday night, not only being handled with relative ease by the worst team in baseball, but getting handled by their former starting pitcher they simply let walk away, Chad Billingsley.
Billingsley had been having a rough time with the Philadelphia Phillies after sitting out last season following Tommy John surgery in April of 2013. But he looked back in form Tuesday in leading the Phillies in a 7-2 victory over a flat-looking Dodgers team before a crowd of 46,614 at Dodger Stadium.
The right-hander came in 0-2 with a 7.71 earned-run average in his first four starts, but held the Dodgers scoreless until Yasmani Grandal hit a two-run homer in the sixth. He left after that inning, having surrendered the two runs and six hits. Tuesday marked his first victory since April 10, 2013.
The Phillies came in not only with the worst record in baseball (28-57), but having won just two of their last 12 games.
But it was the Phillies who ran the bases well, saw a strong-armed right fielder (Domonic Brown) throw out two baserunners, came up with the clutch hits and, of course, had the superior starting pitching.
Brett Anderson had been hot for the Dodgers, having won his last three starts with a 1.35 ERA. But he seemed out of sorts all night Tuesday, giving up a run in the first and three more in the third.
Anderson (5-5) went five innings, giving up the four runs (three earned), six hits and two walks. He struck out five.
He suffered from lack of run support, hardly a banner headline with the Dodgers these days. The Dodgers appeared disinterested or at least worn out from their four-hour, 13-minute victory Monday night.
They never really seemed in this one, falling behind, 6-0, before Grandal hit his 14th home run of the season in the sixth.
Follow Steve Dilbeck on Twitter @SteveDilbeck
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