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Halladay goes for Phils at Chavez Ravine

Aug 8, 2011 - 2:51 PM (Sports Network) - Their season-best nine-game winning streak is over, but that doesn't mean the Philadelphia Phillies won't be able to start a new one with ace Roy Halladay taking the mound tonight in Los Angeles.

The Phillies will open a three-game series against the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine with their best pitcher on the hill. Halladay has won three straight starts and is aiming to become the National League's first 15-game winner. The reigning NL Cy Young Award honoree was able to improve to 14-4 in 23 starts with last Wednesday's 8-6 victory at Colorado and allowed five runs -- four earned -- and eight hits in eight innings. He has been given plenty of run support (23) during his three-game winning streak and will make his 11th road start of the season. Halladay is 6-3 over the first 10 road bouts.

The right-hander has made four career starts against Los Angeles, going 3-1 with a 2.03 earned run average. Halladay was beaten by the Dodgers in a 3-0 decision last August 30 in LA and gave up three runs and 10 hits in seven innings. He went up against Hiroki Kuroda in that matchup and the Japanese righty earned the win with 7 2/3 shutout innings and seven strikeouts.

Kuroda will oppose Halladay again this evening and lost to Philadelphia back on June 8 at Citizen Bank Park, where he surrendered just one run over 5 1/3 frames in a 2-0 setback. Kuroda is 2-1 with a minuscule 0.84 ERA in five career starts against the Phillies.

Los Angeles is hoping Kuroda can string together back-to-back wins after he tossed seven scoreless innings in a 1-0 triumph at San Diego last Tuesday. He had been 1-10 with a 3.38 ERA in his previous 12 starts. Kuroda is just 7-13 with a 2.96 ERA in 22 starts this season and 2-9 in 12 outings at home.

The Dodgers failed in their bid of a three-game sweep at Arizona with Sunday's 4-3 loss in a matchup between two aces in Clayton Kershaw and Ian Kennedy. Kershaw was gunning for his 14th win of the season for the Dodgers, but was reached for four runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings to absorb the loss. Kennedy was the one who hit the 14-win mark with seven innings of three-run ball. Kershaw shared his displeasure afterwards.

"It took me too long to adjust," said Kershaw. "You give up a four-pitch walk, you're going to give up runs. It's frustrating, but I did that in the last game, walked a guy on four pitches and gave up a run. It's frustrating. Overall, I pitched all right. But the first inning kills you."

James Loney homered and Andre Ethier collected two hits and an RBI for the Dodgers, who had won four of five and 10 of their previous 15 games. Los Angeles will also host Houston for three games on this upcoming residency. Rookie shortstop Dee Gordon is expected to be back in the starting lineup tonight and has been bothered by a balky right shoulder.

"Dee's pretty good," said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly. "He hit the ball [in the cage] and threw a little bit. He felt a little something, but it sounds really good."

Phillies third baseman Placido Polanco hasn't been feeling good lately and was sent back to the City of Brotherly Love for an MRI on his injured left hip. He could possibly land back on the disabled list after being activated July 30 following lower back inflammation. Phils starter Roy Oswalt was activated off of the DL and pitched in Sunday's 3-1 setback at San Francisco.

Bothered by a back ailment, Oswalt was dealt the loss for allowing three runs and 12 hits in six innings.

"It's good to be on the field," Oswalt said on the team's site. "It's good to be well again. It's nice when you don't have to worry about trying to make it through a couple innings. [I was] probably better than I thought I was going to be. I gave up a few more hits than I wanted to. But it wasn't like I was giving up doubles in the gap."

Chase Utley had two hits and the lone RBI for the Phillies, whose lead atop the National League East standings dipped to 8 1/2 games ahead of Atlanta. The Braves defeated the New York Mets on Sunday afternoon.

Philadelphia, which is 6-1 on its current 10-game road swing, won two of three games versus the Dodgers in early June and owns a 6-2 mark in the last eight matchups between the two ballclubs.