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Durbin replaces Hamels as Phillies face Dodgers

Aug 22, 2007 - 1:40 PM LA Dodgers (64-61) at Philadelphia (66-58) 7:05 pm EDT

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Despite an injury to their ace, the Philadelphia Phillies will try to keep pace in the National League playoff race.

J.D. Durbin will make an unscheduled start as the Phillies aim to win their sixth straight home series when they meet in the middle game of a three-game set with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday.

The righthanded Durbin remains in the Philadelphia rotation after the team's latest injury, and probably its most costly. Cole Hamels was scratched from an outing on Wednesday and could miss more time due to a strained left elbow.

Hamels, who is 3-0 in his last five starts and 14-5 this season, started feeling discomfort two days before his last outing, a victory over Washington on Thursday.

Despite the bad news, Philadelphia rallied to edged Los Angeles, 5-4, on Tuesday to move into a tie for first place in the NL wild card with the San Diego Padres. In the process, the loss dropped the Dodgers 2 1/2 games behind the wild card.

Durbin (5-2, 5.36 ERA), who is being moved up one day to start, has already had to make five spot starts due to the numerous injuries to the Phillies' rotation. The rookie has done well in the role, going 4-1 with a 4.11 ERA.

On Friday, Durbin allowed three runs - two earned - and four hits in six innings of an 11-8 victory at the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Durbin's first major league victory came in his only career appearance against the Dodgers, yielding a run in six innings in a 15-3 win on July 17.

Los Angeles counters with Derek Lowe (9-11, 3.45), who won for the first time since June 22 in his last start. The 6-6 righthander yielded just five hits in seven scoreless innings of a 6-2 win vs. the Houston Astros on Thursday.

Lowe had been 0-5 in his previous eight outings.

Since joining the Dodgers in 2005, Lowe is 2-0 in four starts against the Phillies.

The Dodgers have lost nine of their last 12 games on the road.