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Phillies-Dodgers Preview

Sep 1, 2010 - 6:48 AM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

Philadelphia (74-58) at Los Angeles (68-65), 3:10 p.m. EDT

Roy Oswalt pitched seven scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers three weeks ago, exactly the type of outing the Philadelphia Phillies were hoping the three-time All-Star could provide down the stretch.

He hasn't slowed down since.

Oswalt has performed like an ace in his past four outings, a standard he'll look to maintain in Wednesday's finale as he tries to lead the Phillies to a series victory at Dodger Stadium.

Oswalt (9-13, 3.12 ERA) was 0-1 with a 4.38 ERA in his first two starts with the Phillies (74-58) after coming over from Houston prior to the trade deadline, but he's flashed his dominant form in his past four outings.

The right-hander held the Dodgers (68-65) to five hits in a 2-0 win Aug. 11, the first of three straight victories. Oswalt pitched well enough to deserve one Friday at San Diego, allowing a run over eight innings in Philadelphia's 3-2, 10-inning win.

"He did a fantastic job," Padres second baseman David Eckstein said. "He's been great his last four starts. He was really mixing it up well."

Oswalt is 7-2 with a 2.89 ERA in 10 starts versus the Dodgers and 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA in his last two road starts against them.

He's done an outstanding job retiring Los Angeles' 3-4-5 hitters. Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and James Loney are a combined 6 for 34 (.176) against Oswalt.

Kemp had two hits and Loney a two-run homer Tuesday, but that wasn't enough to catch up to the Phillies. Brian Schneider hit a three-run shot in the second inning and Ryan Howard followed with a three-run homer in the third - his first since July 27 - as Philadelphia won 8-4 to even the series.

The Phillies maintained their 1 1/2-game wild-card lead over San Francisco while staying within three of NL East-leading Atlanta.

"I feel like I've had some good at-bats and good swings over the last five, six games," said Howard, who came into the game in a 4-for-49 slump. "I was just happy to have gotten a hit."

Howard will be happy to see September's arrival. He's a .307 hitter with 49 homers during the month, both career bests.

"He's got to get going," manager Charlie Manuel said.

Los Angeles opposes Oswalt with Clayton Kershaw (11-8, 3.01), who is 4-1 with a 1.94 ERA in seven afternoon starts.

The left-hander posted a 2.03 ERA in his final four August outings, but has one win to show for it. Kershaw held Colorado to a run over six innings Friday, but the Dodgers' offensive surge didn't come until late in a 6-2 victory.

Picking up a win Wednesday won't be easy. Kershaw has gone 0-4 with a 6.31 ERA in nine games - six starts - against the Phillies, including the postseason.

His biggest nemesis has been Carlos Ruiz, who drove in the final two runs Tuesday with a pinch-hit single in the seventh. Philadelphia's catcher is 3 for 7 with a homer and three walks versus Kershaw.

The Phillies, who conclude a seven-game trip Thursday with a makeup contest against Colorado, last won a regular-season series at Dodger Stadium in 2005.