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Phillies-Dodgers Preview

Jun 7, 2009 - 2:49 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Philadelphia (32-21) at Los Angeles (38-19), 8:05 p.m. EDT

Brad Lidge was on the mound to end both of Philadelphia's wins at Dodger Stadium in October, closing out Los Angeles in five games as the Phillies won the NL pennant en route to their first World Series title in 28 years.

If the same Lidge were in southern California this weekend, the Phillies may be on the cusp of a 10-game winning streak.

Instead, they'll try to avoid a third straight loss to the Dodgers when they close the four-game series between the teams with the league's best records Sunday night, with Los Angeles still buzzing after a second straight walk-off hit by Andre Ethier.

Philadelphia (32-22) had won seven in a row, including the series opener, when Lidge entered Friday's game with a 3-2 lead in the ninth inning. But a hit, a walk and an error - all with two outs - preceded Ethier's game-winning two-run double.

Then Rafael Furcal delivered a pinch-hit home run off Lidge to tie Saturday's game at 2 in the ninth, and the Dodgers won 3-2 when Ethier hit his second homer of the game in the 12th inning off Chad Durbin.

"I can't believe it - two days in a row," Ethier said. "You can go through half a season, a whole season, without having that opportunity, and I had it two games in a row."

Including postseason, Lidge converted all 48 of his save opportunities in his first season with the Phillies in 2008, and three of them came during the NL championship series against the Dodgers. But he already has blown six of 19 chances this year and has a 7.27 ERA.

"Obviously the breaks went with me last year, and right now they're not," Lidge said. "But you've got to be careful not to be negative and pessimistic in your mind, because that can hurt you. That's one of the reasons why I'll continue to stay optimistic."

He could be unavailable Sunday for Philadelphia, which has not lost three in a row since April 16-18.

The Dodgers (39-19), meanwhile, will be looking to become the first team in baseball to reach 40 wins. They haven't earned their 40th win before their 60th game since 1983.

Although the team still leads the NL with 303 runs, Los Angeles' offensive pace has slowed lately and the team's pitchers have picked up the slack. The staff's 3.57 ERA is the best in the majors, and Randy Wolf (3-1, 3.21 ERA) has helped that number.

Wolf spent his first eight seasons with Philadelphia and won 69 games, but he earned his first victory against his former team last month.

The left-hander was impressive at Citizens Bank Park, allowing three hits and a run and striking out eight in six innings of the Dodgers' 9-2 win May 13. He has a 2.25 ERA in two starts against the Phillies, who dropped two of three to the Dodgers last month.

Wolf wasn't as sharp in his most recent start Tuesday against Arizona, but he hasn't lost in 11 starts since losing his season debut. The longest unbeaten stretch of his career within one season came in 2006, when he didn't lose any of his 12 starts in his final year with the Phillies.

Los Angeles will be trying to deal Phillies southpaw Antonio Bastardo his first major league loss. Undrafted just two years ago, Bastardo has joined Philadelphia's rotation in place of the injured Brett Myers, and he beat San Diego with six strong innings in his big-league debut Tuesday.

"As the game progressed I felt better, more relaxed," Bastardo said through a translator.

After compiling a 1.90 ERA in the minors this year, Bastardo (1-0, 1.50) allowed four hits, one walk and one run, striking out five in the Phillies' 10-5 victory.