Dodgers Flex Muscle in Win Over Phillies

Three players have multi-hit games for the Dodgers who snap a two-game slide

A Dodgers offense that has been virtually nonexistent in the last three games busted loose Wednesday night in a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

LA pounded out 11 hits, seven of which went for extra bases.

"I think today was good for all of us as a team," said Matt Kemp after the game, himself coming in hitting a meager .196.

Wednesday night though, Kemp continued the success he's had in his career against Phillies starter Cole Hamels, hitting two doubles off the lefty. It was also a sign he may have found his swing.

"I felt really good at the plate today, a good sign I drove the ball to centerfield today," said Kemp, having raised his batting average to .218.

He also saw his struggling cohort Hanley Ramirez bust out of his slump. The Dodgers shortstop went 2 for 4 with a double and a monstrous homerun to center field. He has hit just .167 since being hit in the hand a week ago.

Having lost the first two games of a four-game series to Philly, game three just so happened to fall on Zack Greinke's turn in the rotation. And, he delivered.

The right-hander struck out 11 batters in seven-plus innings, allowing two runs on five hits. It's the 17th straight start Greinke (4-0) has gone at least five innings and given up two or fewer runs - the longest such streak since 1914.

"It is pretty amazing," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said afterward. "You're facing big league hitters and there are going to be nights where you don't have your stuff, and I think where Zack kind of separates himself from a lot of guys is that the times that he doesn't have real good stuff he still finds a way to be able to compete."

Greinke wasn't perfect, though. After the Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, the Phillies tied it in the fourth when Ryan Howard singled to drive in Jimmy Rollins.

The Dodgers took the lead back in the fifth. Drew Butera started a two-out rally with a single to right field. After Greinke walked, Yasiel Puig hit the first pitch he saw into left, scoring Butera, and the Dodgers were up, 2-1.

Puig capped another two-out rally in the seventh when he tripled off the right-field wall. Greinke scored to pad the Dodgers lead, 3-1.

Greinke started the eighth, but was pulled after Jason Nix hit a lead-off homreun cutting the Dodgers lead, 3-2.

The Dodgers tacked on two more in the bottom of the eighth, one coming from Ramirez's third homer of the season. Kenley Jansen closed it out in the ninth for his eighth save.

For the Phillies, Hamels (0-1) went six innings in his first start of the season. He had been on the disabled list with tendinitis in his left biceps. Hamels was solid, only allowing two runs on six hits but he took the loss.

Thursday, Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick will try to get his first win of the season. The Dodgers will counter with Dan Haren, who will match Greinke with four wins if he's victorious. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m.

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