LOS ANGELES DODGERS CLIPSTHURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015

LA TIMES

Dodgers' Brett Anderson may be happiest to see A.J. Ellis back in lineup By Kevin Baxter

No teammate may have been happier to see A.J. Ellis come off the disabled list this week than left-hander Brett Anderson.

Six of Ellis' 29 starts behind the plate have come with Anderson on the mound. The Dodgers have won all six of those games — the latest a 4-3 win over the Phillies on Wednesday — and Anderson has gone 3-0 with a 1.80 earned-run average, winning his last three decisions, with Ellis as his battery-mate.

With anyone else catching, the Dodgers are 5-10 and Anderson has a 3.67 ERA.

Ellis "has a game plan. He does a ton of scouting," said Anderson, who is 6-6 with a 3.06 ERA on the season. "I feel like I just ride the wave and throw what he calls. And more times than not this year, it's working."

Against the Phillies on Wednesday, Anderson gave up a run and four hits in six innings, striking out five.

"We have great chemistry," Ellis explained of his success with Anderson. "We both have a similar idea of what he can do on the mound. It's fun to catch him."

Little relief in sight

Right-hander Jim Johnson is not proving to be the set-up man the Dodgers had hoped for when they acquired him in a trade-deadline deal with Atlanta.

Brought on to protect a three-run lead in the eighth inning Wednesday, Johnson gave up a single and a two-run home run to Jeff Francoeur in the span of three batters. In his first appearance with the Dodgers, he gave up a game-tying eighth-inning homer to the Angels' Kole Calhoun to earn his fifth blown save of the season.

The night before, reliever Joel Peralta entered a tie game with the bases loaded in the seventh and gave up a game-winning grand slam to rookie Maikel Franco. That was the 31st home run allowed by the Dodgers bullpen, third-most in the National League.

Kenley Jansen finally restored order in the ninth Wednesday, striking out the side to pick up his 20th save of the season.

Frias' rehab start cut short

Right-hander Carlos Frias, reinstated from the disabled list over the weekend, lasted just one inning in his first rehab start at triple-A Oklahoma City. Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly said Frias felt some discomfort in his back and was removed after 10 pitches as a precaution.

Frias spent nearly a month on the DL with tightness in his lower back. He appeared in 14 games for the Dodgers this season, making 12 starts and going 5-5 with a 4.39 ERA in 692/3 innings.

Joc Pederson walking through a slump By Kevin Baxter

Joc Pederson has spent half the season trying to hit his way out a slump that has only seemed to grow deeper each time he swings from his heels.

So now he's trying a different approach: He's going to walk his way back to the top of the Dodgers batting order.

For the second consecutive game, Pederson matched a career high by drawing three walks Wednesday in the Dodgers' 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. So while the rookie outfielder hasn't had a hit in nearly two weeks — and has put the ball in play just three times this month — he has walked more times in the last two games than he did in all of July.

“I'm trying to get back to the basics of getting a good pitch and putting a good swing on it,” Pederson said. “It's going in the right direction. So I'm just going to stick to that plan.

“It's encouraging. It's positive.”

Pederson didn't figure in any of the Dodgers' scoring — Yasiel Puig accounted for most of that with a three-run homer with two outs in the first inning, and Adrian Gonzalez drove in the final run, scoring Jimmy Rollins with a groundout in the fifth.

Left-hander Brett Anderson made that stand up with six solid innings in which he limited the Phillies to a run on four hits, striking out five. Howie Kendrick backed him with three hits while Andre Ethier, Puig and Alberto Callaspo had two hits apiece and the Dodgers walked nine times as a team.

For Pederson, meanwhile, it has been a rookie season of extremes. He made the All-Star team on the strength of 20 first-half home runs, but he is batting just .172 with one homer and 22 strikeouts since. And nearly half of his 433 plate appearances have ended in a walk, a strikeout or a home run.

“Right now, he is what he is,” Manager Don Mattingly said.

What he isn't anymore is a leadoff hitter, with the Dodgers moving him out of the top spot in the batting order a week ago, hitting him sixth Wednesday and eighth the night before. But that's about as far as he's going to go. Given his Gold Glove-caliber play in center field, Mattingly said the team never considered sending him back to the minors to get his swing straightened out.

“Now's not the time to start messing with our club and getting away from what we've been doing,” he said. “We've been playing great defense up the middle. There's really no pressure on him. We're not asking for a bunch of offense.”

So Pederson, hitless in his last 20 at-bats, is providing help in other ways. On his second walk Wednesday, Pederson — who is third in the majors with 129 strikeouts — fouled off a pair of tough two-strike pitches before taking a full-count offering for ball four.

“I take it as a great sign. No doubt,” Mattingly said.

Whether it's a sign of better things to come remains to be seen. But the Dodgers — and Pederson — are confident they are headed in the right direction, even if he's walking there.

“At some point if you hit .220 and you don't hit homers, then there's other things you try to do. You have to make organizational decisions,” Mattingly said. “But I don't think anybody's trying to make those right now. There's nobody thinking that Joc can't hit. We all believe in Joc still and what he's going to be able to do.

“It's going to be a little bit of a learning process this year.

Up next

The Dodgers will send right-hander Zack Greinke (10-2, 1.41) against the Phillies' David Buchanan (2-5, 6.44) on Thursday at 10 a.m. PDT. TV: SportsNet LA. Radio: 570, 1020.

Another strong, quiet start for Brett Anderson in Dodgers' 4-3 win By Steve Dilbeck

The Dodgers have two superstar pitchers in Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. They have two bright additions to their rotation in Mat Latos and Alex Wood.

And then there is Brett Anderson, something of the other guy.

He is not an ace. Not one of the guys who came riding to the rotation rescue at the non-waiver trading deadline. He was one of two health gambles the Dodgers made in the off-season; the other, Brandon McCarthy, went down for the season to elbow surgery.

Get news and notes on all the Dodgers matchups >>But Anderson has quietly delivered on the Dodgers’ hopes, evident once again in their 4-3 victory Wednesday over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

Backed by a three-run homer from Yasiel Puig in the first inning, Anderson did what he’s done best all season, but particularly of late -- give the Dodgers a solid performance and opportunity to win.

Anderson allowed one run in six innings on four hits and two walks. Anderson has a meddling 6-6 record, though he’s actually pitched better than that. He lowered his ERA to 3.06. In his last nine starts he’s put up a 2.43 ERA.

There have been no dramatic scoreless-innings streaks like Kershaw and Greinke have put together, but Anderson continues as an effective weapon. Wednesday marked his 21st start of the season. The only other time the injury-riddled left-hander has made more starts in a season was his rookie season in 2009.

After Anderson departed, the Dodgers’ bullpen continued as an area of concern. Jim Johnson, who allowed only two home runs in 49 appearances for the Braves, gave up his second homer in as many appearances for the Dodgers.

Johnson, who was the Braves closer and came to the Dodgers as part of the Alex Wood trade, came on in the eighth and gave up a single to Odubel Herrera and then a two-run homer to Jeff Francour.

The Dodgers had jumped to an early 3-0 lead in the first off ex-Dodger Aaron Harang when Puig followed singles by Howie Kendrick and Adrian Gonzalez with a line-drive homer down the left-field line. It was his eighth home run of the season.

The Phillies scored their one run off Anderson in the third behind a Cesar Hernandez single and a Maikel Franco double.

The Dodgers scored once more off Harang in the fifth, with what proved to be the winning run. Jimmy Rollins walked, took third on a Kendrick base hit and scored when Adrian Gonzalez bounced out to first.

The Dodgers loaded the bases later in the inning on an Andre Ethier single and a walk to Joc Pederson -- he walked three times for the second consecutive game -- but Alberto Callaspo flied out to center. The Dodgers loaded the bases again in the sixth with two outs but Ethier struck out. They loaded the bases yet again with two outs in the seventh and Puig was easily tagged out trying to score from third on a pitch that bounced only about 12 feet from the plate.

After Johnson made it a one-run game, the Dodgers turned to Kenley Jansen in the ninth. Jansen, who had been shaky himself of late, was back in form. He struck out the side for his 20th save of the season.

How concerned should Dodgers be with performance of Joel Peralta? By Steve Dilbeck

So there was a certain amount of displeasure voiced Tuesday after Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly elected to bring in reliever Joel Peralta with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh inning of a 1-1 game.

Certainly, Peralta's immediately giving up a grand slam did not help Mattingly's cause, but of greater concern should be the performance of Peralta overall.

He started the season looking like a great addition, a veteran to help settle in several young bullpen arms. And then there was his own performance- – he did not allow a run in his first seven appearances, and with Kenley Jensen out, picked up three saves.

It looked as if Andrew Friedman wisely had brought along the right reliever from Tampa Bay to help stabilize an unsettled bullpen.

Only then the 39-year-old went on the disabled list with a sore shoulder. He missed two entire months with the nerve injury that at one point doctors thought could only be improved by surgery to remove a disk from his back.

Since his return, he has been wholly unreliable, a completely different pitcher.

In the 15 games he’s appeared in since his return, Peralta has a 6.17 earned-run average and a 1.80 WHIP -- this from a guy who did not allow a single run in his first seven games before the injury.

After that great initial start, the Dodgers’ bullpen is again a sore spot. It posted a 2.98 ERA in May, then a 3.69 ERA last month. Now it has two new pieces in right-hander Jim Johnson and left-hander Luis Avilan, both acquired at the trade deadline from Atlanta.

So in August, the bullpen -– the team’s great 2014 playoff failing -– remains a work in progress.

But what to do with Peralta? Right now, there’s no way he should be used with a game on the line. Maybe he just needs more time, and maybe he is still headed for surgery. For now, it’s best to simply use him when games are nearly out of hand, and not in clutch, late-game moments.

OC REGISTER

Final: Yasiel Puig hits 3-run home run, Dodgers hold on for win over Phillies By Bill Plunkett

PHILADELPHIA – The Dodgers rode Yasiel Puig’s three-run home run in the first inning and Brett Anderson’s six strong innings to a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night.

The Dodgers wasted no time bouncing back from a 6-2 loss Tuesday night during which they went 2 for 12 with runners in scoring position and stranded 13 runners on base.

Howie Kendrick and Adrian Gonzalez had back-to-back singles in the first inning off Phillies starter Aaron Harang. Two batters later, Puig drove them both in when he sent a hanging curveball from Harang into the left-field seats.

The Dodgers never trailed. Staked to that 3-0 lead, Anderson allowed only four hits over his six innings and just one run on Maikel Franco’s RBI double in the third inning. Anderson struck out five and got 10 ground ball outs in the win.

After the quick getaway, the Dodgers offense slipped back into neutral. They had 10 hits and nine walks in the game but added just one run to Puig's home run. They left the bases loaded in the fifth and sixth innings and stranded 12 more runners.

Puig short-circuited another bases-loaded scoring opportunity in the seventh inning. With two outs, Puig broke from third base on a pitch in the dirt -- even as the batter, Jimmy Rollins, signalled him to hold at third. Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz quickly recovered the ball, ran Puig back toward third base and tagged him out.

The Dodgers have had 21 hits and 14 walks in the first two games of this series but stranded 25 of those runners.

That became more of an issue as the Dodgers' bullpen took over for Anderson.

After Baez pitched a scoreless seventh, Jim Johnson took over in the eighth. In his second appearance since being acquired from the Atlanta Braves, Johnson gave up a leadoff single to Odubel Herrera and a two-run home run to Jeff Francoeur that made it a one-run game.

Johnson has given up a home run in both of his appearances for the Dodgers.

Kenley Jansen gave up a run in each of his three appearances during last week's homestand but he struck out the side in the ninth to close out the victory.

Bullpen struggles continue, but Yasiel Puig's three-run HR carries Dodgers over Phillies By Bill Plunkett

PHILADELPHIA – The search for a reliable trail of bread crumbs the Dodgers can follow through the treacherous innings that separate their outstanding starting pitchers and their usually dependable closer continues.

And now it’s a health issue.

“Well, for my heart, it would be good,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly joked after watching a three-run lead become a one-run lead before his team closed out a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday night.

Brett Anderson gave the Dodgers another strong start, holding the Phillies to one run on four hits in six innings. And Yasiel Puig provided a quick getaway with a three-run home run in the first inning.

But newly acquired setup man Jim Johnson gave up a two-run home run to Jeff Francoeur in the eighth inning that made it a one-run game. The latest reliever to audition for Mattingly’s circle of trust, Johnson has given up a home run in each of his first two appearances with the Dodgers.

There is a long trail of broken trust behind him. It has gone from Joel Peralta and Chris Hatcher (the preseason favorites to get the outs in front of Kenley Jansen) to Pedro Baez and Yimi Garcia

(the early-season surprises who ran into trouble) to Johnson and Luis Avilan (both acquired from the Atlanta Braves last week).

In all, 19 pitchers have made relief appearances for the Dodgers. Only Jansen and J.P. Howell have proved consistently reliable and the same Achilles’ heel the Dodgers took into the playoffs the past two seasons still seems unresolved even as they pile up regular-season wins against teams they won’t see in October.

“That’s streaky,” Mattingly said. “It’d be nice to feel comfortable with whatever you’re doing out there and whoever you go to. That’s not the case for very many teams, honestly. I think everyone fights that. I think every now and then you get a club that feels like if you get to a certain point the game is over.

“It’d be nice to be able to do that. Hopefully, we kind of get to that – where we get guys on a roll, having success. We’ll see. It would be nice.”

The Dodgers were their own worst enemy in more ways than one Wednesday.

For the second night in Philadelphia, they crowded the bases – then stayed there. In the past two games, the Dodgers have had 21 hits and 14 walks (nine in Wednesday’s game alone). But they have stranded 25 baserunners.

“I’m not going to go too far (in criticizing) because we got a ‘W’ and that’s what it’s really about at the end of the day,” Mattingly said. “But you hope it doesn’t come back to haunt you. Just like last night, we left runners out there early, had chances to put runners on the board, weren’t able to do it. It did kind of come back to haunt us (in a 6-2 loss). Tonight it didn’t.”

The Dodgers took it a step farther Wednesday, undercutting their efforts with a pair of costly baserunning decisions.

In the fourth inning, Joc Pederson led off with one of his three walks and tried to go to third on Alberto Callaspo’s single to right field. Francoeur threw him out and the inning went nowhere.“It’s something we’ve been harping on for three or four years now, honestly,” Mattingly said. “It doesn’t seem to get a whole lot better. It’s really game awareness that gets us caught. It’s not the fact that guys try to take extra bases. You don’t mind that. It’s just game awareness as much as anything.

“It goes back to your baseball fundamentals. … That’s a chance you take with one out, it’s a gamble. But with no outs, it’s not really a smart play.”

The Dodgers left the bases loaded in the fifth and sixth innings, getting just one run. Puig short-circuited another bases-loaded scoring opportunity in the seventh. With two outs, Puig broke from third base on a pitch in the dirt – even as the batter, Jimmy Rollins, signaled him to hold at third. Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz quickly recovered the ball, ran Puig back toward third base and tagged him out.

“I’m not sure what happened on that because that ball did not get too far away,” Mattingly said.

Dodgers insist they haven't lost faith in Joc Pederson despite prolonged slump By Bill Plunkett

PHILADELPHIA – Joc Pederson’s batting average, on-base percentage and OPS have all melted like a popsicle in the summer months. But the rookie center fielder’s value to the Dodgers has remained strong.

“We made a conscious decision to be a better defensive club this year. He’s a big part of that, up the middle,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Wednesday. “At some point, if you hit .220 and you don’t hit homers then there’s other things that you try to do. You have to make organizational decisions.

“I don’t think there’s anybody trying to make those right now. And there’s nobody thinking Joc won’t hit. We all believe in Joc still and what he’s going to be able to do. It’s going to be a little bit of a learning process for him this year too.”

Through the end of June, Pederson was hitting only .244 but with a .384 on-base percentage, .911 OPS, 20 home runs and 55 walks. He was crowned the new king of three true outcomes (walks, home runs, strikeouts – plate appearance outcomes with no defensive involvement) – then two of the three outcomes disappeared. In 25 games since the start of July, he is hitting .156 (15 for 96) with 35 strikeouts but only one home run and 10 walks – six of them in the past two games (“a really good sign,” Mattingly said).

It’s a prolonged slump that did prompt Mattingly to drop Pederson from the leadoff spot, but the manager dismissed the idea that anything more needs to be done – like reduced playing time or even a demotion to Triple-A.

“You don’t do anything. Keep going,” Mattingly said over the weekend. “Now is not the time to start messing with our club and what we’ve been doing all year. We’ve been a club that plays good defense up the middle.

“We’re trying to win games at this point. He’s been our center fielder all year long. We know who he is. We know what he’s going to be. I think we just keep going. We have Kiké (Hernandez) to play center field, give him some days off.”

Pederson is second in the National League and third in the majors in strikeouts (129) and Mattingly acknowledges that Pederson will have to get that number down. Doing it while trying to contribute to the team offensively as a rookie is a big challenge, however.

“You don’t like walking back to the dugout. It doesn’t do your team any good,” Mattingly said in the midst of Pederson’s slump. “I’m sure he’s working on using the field, putting the ball in play more. But it’s hard to just make overall changes during the course of a season. You’re trying to compete. You’re trying to win games. You’re trying to get on base. Joc’s working. Joc’s going through the process and we’re happy with what he’s doing.”

ANOTHER SLUMP

Early in the year, another Dodgers rookie, Alex Guerrero, was remarkably productive in limited at-bats. He hit .310 with nine home runs in his first 87 at-bats. Since then, though, Guerrero’s production has disappeared (as his playing time became even more sporadic). After striking out three times Tuesday night, Guerrero is 13 for his past 84 (.155) with just two home runs in his past 42 games.

“You are what you eat – if you don’t swing at strikes, it’s tough to hit,” Mattingly said. “Basically, the league is not throwing him strikes and he’s continued to swing at this point. He’s going to have to get himself strikes to hit. That would be the main thing.”

Mattingly acknowledged that adjustment is “a little easier said than done,” particularly for a hitter like Guerrero whose approach produced years of success in Cuba – and who now has to make any adjustments with limited playing time.

“He’s an aggressive guy,” Mattingly understated – Guerrero has just five walks in 180 plate appearances and has seen fewer than 31/2 pitches per plate appearance.

“He’s always been a guy who’s after that first strike. Teams were pitching him a certain way then all of a sudden you hit a few homers, teams are going to start looking into you a little deeper and you’re going to get pitched a little different. You have to make the adjustment back.”

Mattingly said Guerrero would get the “lion’s share” of playing time at third base while Justin Turner is on the DL. But Guerrero is 1 for 13 while starting four of the five games before Wednesday. Mattingly started Alberto Callaspo, a more reliable defender, with groundball-oriented Brett Anderson on the mound Wednesday and said he might consider playing Hernandez there while “holding down the fort” until Turner can come off the DL on Tuesday.

NOTES

Right-hander Carlos Frias was activated from the DL on Sunday and optioned to Triple-A. He started for Oklahoma City Wednesday but pitched just one inning. He retired all three batters he faced before being pulled from the game due to back discomfort once again. …

Right-hander Mike Bolsinger was hit in the right forearm by a ball hit back through the middle during his start with the OKC Dodgers on Tuesday night. Bolsinger stayed in the game briefly and Mattingly said Bolsinger is expected to make his next start on schedule.

On deck: Dodgers at Phillies, Thursday, 10 a.m. By Bill Plunkett

Where: Citizens Bank Park

TV: SportsNet LA

Did you know: The Dodgers’ first-round pick in this year’s draft, Vanderbilt right-hander Walker Buehler, underwent Tommy John surgery Wednesday in Los Angeles. The recovery is expected to take 12-18 months. Buehler might not make his professional debut until spring 2017.

THE PITCHERS

RHP ZACK GREINKE (10-2, 1.41)

Greinke has allowed two runs in each of his past two starts, a stretch that saw his 452/3 scoreless innings streak snapped. It’s the first time in 21 starts this season he has allowed more than one run in consecutive starts. Greinke has allowed fewer than two runs in 15 of those 21 starts. He leads the majors in ERA, WHIP (0.83) and opponents’ batting average (.186).

Vs. Phillies: 5-1, 2.03

At Citizens Bank Park: 1-1, 1.77

Hates to face: Darin Ruf, 1 for 2 (.500)

Loves to face: Carlos Ruiz, 0 for 9, 2 Ks

RHP DAVID BUCHANAN (2-5, 6.44)

Buchanan made his big-league debut against the Dodgers in May 2014, stepping in for an injured Cliff Lee and allowing two runs on five hits over five innings. He made 20 starts for the Phillies last season with a 3.75 ERA. Things have not gone as well this season. He made five starts in April, allowed 24 runs in 242/3 innings and was sent down to Triple-A. Things have been better since he was recalled in July. Over three starts since returning to the Phillies, he has a 3.38 ERA but opposing batters are still hitting .293 against him.

Vs. Dodgers: 1-0, 3.60

At Citizens Bank Park: 6-5, 4.41

Hates to face: Yasiel Puig, 1 for 2 (.500)

Loves to face: Adrian Gonzalez, 0 for 2

Wednesday lineups: Dodgers biding time at 3B until Justin Turner returns By Bill Plunkett

PHILADELPHIA -- When Justin Turner went on the DL with a skin infection, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Alex Guerrero would get the "lion's share" of starts at third base during his absence.

But Guerrero struck out three times Tuesday night and is batting .155 (13 for 84) with just two home runs in his past 42 games after hitting .310 with nine home runs in his first 87 at-bats this season.

"You are what you eat -- if you don't swing at strikes, it's tough to hit," Mattingly said of Guerrero's struggles. "Basically, the league is not throwing him strikes and he's continued to swing at this point. He's going to have to get himself strikes to hit. That would be the main thing."

Mattingly acknowledged that adjustment is "a little easier said than done," particularly for a hitter like Guerrero whose approach produced years of success in Cuba -- and who has tried to make those adjustments this year with sporadic playing time.

"He's an aggressive guy," Mattingly understated -- Guerrero has just five walks in 180 plate appearances and has seen fewer than 3 1/2 pitches per plate appearance.

"He's always been a guy who's after that first strike. Teams were pitching him a certain way then all of a sudden you hit a few homers, teams are going to start looking into you a little deeper and you're going to get pitched a little different. You have to make the adjustment back."

Alberto Callaspo gets the start at third base tonight.

Tonight's lineups:

DODGERS (60-46)SS Jimmy Rollins2B Howie Kendrick1B Adrian GonzalezLF Andre EthierRF Yasiel PuigCF Joc Pederson3B Alberto CallaspoC A.J. EllisLHP Brett Anderson (5-6, 3.14 ERA)

PHILLIES (42-65)2B Cesar HernandezCF Odubel Herrera3B Maikel FrancoRF Jeff Francoeur1B Ryan HowardLF Darin RufSS Freddy GalvisC Carlos RuizRHP Aaron Harang (5-11, 3.97 ERA)

DODGERS.COM

Puig's homer sets tone as Dodgers drop Phils By Ken Gurnick and Todd Zolecki

PHILADELPHIA - Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig is showing some power these past couple of weeks.

He hit a three-run home run to left field in the first inning in Wednesday night's 4-3 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. It was his fourth home run in his past 13 games. He went 2-for-4 with three RBIs to lead the Dodgers, who have won five of their last six games.

"He got us out of the gate," manager Don Mattingly said of Puig's home run. "We had a lot of chances after that and didn't do a lot, and they hung around and got back in the game."

The Phillies managed just four hits and one run in six innings against Dodgers left-hander Brett Anderson, but they made things interesting with Jeff Francoeur's two-run home run to left field in the eighth.

"They're a very disciplined team," Phillies right-hander Aaron Harang said about the Dodgers. "That's why they're in first place."

MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDFrenchy steps up: Francoeur remains an intriguing trade candidate in August. He showed his value offensively and defensively Wednesday. He threw out Joc Pederson at third base in the fourth inning. Then, he hit the two-run homer in the eighth against Jim Johnson to cut the Dodgers' lead to 4-3.

"There's got to be somebody that's interested in him, I would think," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "He's come up big all year. We love him."

Joc the walk machine: Pederson added three walks in this game to three he had Tuesday night. He had only four walks the entire month of July.

"Obviously it's good to see him get on base," Mattingly said. "We hope it's a good sign."

Fundamental flaws: Poor execution undermined scoring opportunities for the Dodgers in the second, fourth and seventh innings. Anderson's sacrifice bunt attempt was turned into a double play in the second; Pederson was thrown out at third base by right fielder Francoeur, trying to go from first to third on Alberto Callaspo's no-out single in the fourth; and Puig was caught in a rundown after initially trying to score from third base on a pitch that didn't get far enough away from catcher Carlos Ruiz.

"You just hope those chances don't come back to haunt you," said Mattingly. "They did last night, but we got the W tonight and that's what it's all about at the end of the day."

Harang digs an early hole: There is a small chance the Phillies can trade Harang before the Aug. 31 waiver Trade Deadline, but he did not help his cause against the Dodgers. He allowed seven hits, four runs, five walks, one home run and struck out just one in five innings.

"I can't worry about that," Harang said about the August waiver Trade Deadline. "I've got to worry about just executing out there right now. That's what I've got to focus on. I can't worry about the potential to go here or there. I've got to pitch like I know I can pitch and get myself back in a groove."

REPLAY REVIEWThe Phillies challenged a play at second base in the second inning. Second-base umpire Jeff Kellogg ruled A.J. Ellis safe at second on a sacrifice bunt, but replay showed Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis tagged Ellis before he reached second. The call was overturned.

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Francoeur is hitting .322 (48-for-149) with a .340 on-base percentage and a .557 slugging percentage since May 4. His .897 OPS is seventh-best among National League outfielders with 150 or more plate appearances in that span.

WHAT'S NEXTDodgers: Zack Greinke, who threw a one-hit shutout for eight innings against the Phillies last month, starts for the Dodgers in the series finale, with first pitch at 10:05 a.m. PT on Thursday.

Phillies: Right-hander David Buchanan needs to bring his best to have a shot to beat Greinke. He is 2-6 with a 6.44 ERA in eight starts this season, but 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA in his last three. He allowed three runs in 7 1/3 innings

Dodgers overcome gaffes to grind out victory By Ken Gurnick

PHILADELPHIA -- The Dodgers won ugly Wednesday night, but at least they won.

They held on for a 4-3 win over the Phillies, overcoming repeated fundamental gaffes and more setup relief woes. But Yasiel Puig slugged a three-run homer, Brett Anderson delivered a quality start and Kenley Jansen struck out the side in the ninth.

"We got a W and that's what it's all about at the end of the day," said manager Don Mattingly.

They made their job difficult. Joc Pederson was thrown out trying to go from first to third on a single by Alberto Callaspo with no outs in the third inning. Puig ran out of a bases-loaded opportunity with two outs in the seventh inning trying to score on a pitch that wasn't wild enough.

"That's something we've been harping on for three or four years now, honestly," said Mattingly. "It doesn't seem to get a whole lot better. It's game awareness that gets us caught. It's back to baserunning principles, not making the last out at third base. You learn that coming through the Minor Leagues and playing baseball your whole life and that's what's frustrating."

Anderson (6-6 with a 3.06 ERA) allowed only one run and touched a season-high 95 mph, while pitching with three extra days of rest. He also acknowledged an obvious chemistry that has developed with backup catcher A.J. Ellis. Anderson is 6-0 with a 1.80 ERA pitching to Ellis.

"He has a gameplan, does a ton of scouting and I feel like I can just ride the wave, throw what he calls and more times than not, it works," said Anderson.

Anderson mentioned the luxury of pitching with a lead, courtesy of Puig's three-run blast in the first inning off former Dodger Aaron Harang, Puig's fourth home run in the last 13 games. The Dodgers need the production with the absence of Justin Turner until at least next week and the extended slump of Pederson.

The rookie center fielder, however, has regained his eye and willingness to take a ball. After walking only four times all of July, he followed his three-walk game Tuesday night with another Wednesday night.

But the baserunning mishaps contributed to another dozen runners stranded after the Dodgers wasted 13 Tuesday night.

And another replay from the previous game was more shaky relief. Joel Peralta served up the decisive grand slam to Maikel Franco in the series opener, while newly acquired Jim Johnson turned a three-run lead into a one-run nailbiter by serving up a two-run blast to Jeff Francoeur in the bottom of the eighth.

Johnson, who had allowed two home runs this year prior to his acquisition last week from Atlanta, has allowed two home runs in two Dodgers appearances.

Mattingly said "it would be good" for his heart if the Dodgers could develop a reliable setup situation to get the ball to Jansen, who finally came out firing after allowing runs in his last three appearances, while struggling with a virus for two weeks.

"I'm finally feeling better," said Jansen, who has 20 saves.

Production down at third in Turner's absence By Ken Gurnick

PHILADELPHIA -- Justin Turner is eligible to return from the disabled list on Tuesday and Dodgers manager Don Mattingly sounds as if he can't wait.

When Turner was sidelined by a skin infection, Mattingly said Alex Guerrero would get the bulk of playing time. Since then, Guerrero started four of five games and went 1-for-13 with a home run and six strikeouts.

Guerrero was lifted for a pinch-hitter after his third strikeout Tuesday night and replaced in the starting lineup by Alberto Callaspo on Wednesday night."We're just holding down the fort until Justin gets back," Mattingly said. "Mixing and matching Alex and Alberto, possibly Kiké [Hernandez] in there, see how that looks like."

Guerrero was the NL Rookie of the month in April (out-polling teammate Joc Pederson) when he slugged five homers and had a 1.505 OPS. He now has more strikeouts than hits and the OPS has been halved to .741.

"You are what you eat," Mattingly said. "When you don't swing at strikes, it's hard to hit. In a sense, the league's not throwing any strikes and he's continuing to swing. He's going to have to get strikes to hit. He's an aggressive guy. Teams are pitching you one way, all of a sudden you hit homers and teams look deeper into you and pitch you different and you have to make the adjustment back."

Former Dodger Billingsley reveals wife is cancer-free By Todd Zolecki

PHILADELPHIA -- All things considered, Chad Billingsley and his wife, Tiffany, are feeling incredibly blessed these days.

Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park, they will show appreciation for everything good that has happened to them since March. While Chad has worked to return to the mound following a pair of right elbow surgeries, Tiffany has been quietly going through rounds of chemotherapy to beat a rare but aggressive form of cancer called gestational choriocarcinoma.

The couple happily reported that Tiffany has been clear of cancer since last month. She will finish her final treatments in a few weeks.

"There were so many things that went right in this process," Chad said Tuesday.

"It's like the Lord knew we had to be home," said Tiffany, who is from Reading, Pa.

The Billingsleys, who will celebrate their ninth wedding anniversary in November, are hosting 100 members of the oncology staff at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where Tiffany has been receiving her care. The group includes two of her doctors -- Russell Schilder and Norm Rosenblum -- and her nurse practitioner, Amanda Jackson.

The Billingsleys' lives turned upside down in late March. Following a miscarriage, Tiffany, 31, was diagnosed on April 1 with gestational choriocarcinoma, which is the malignant form of gestational trophoblastic disease. According to cancer.org, GTD is a group of rare tumors that involve abnormal growth of cells inside a woman's uterus.

The cancer affects about two to seven of every 100,000 pregnancies in the United States. It is aggressive, but treatable, if detected early. Tiffany had no luck finding a doctor who could see her immediately.

Two weeks, one hospital said. Three weeks, said another.

"I had to pitch that next day," Chad said. "I was a mess. I ended up talking to Ruben [Amaro Jr.]. He was on the ball right there. By the time I finished my start, we already had an appointment set up at Jefferson for the following Tuesday [April 7]. It was a big relief."

"I may not even be alive today if it wasn't for the Phillies," Tiffany said. "They've been unbelievable. We've never felt so part of a family, and we're new."

Tiffany started first-level chemotherapy April 8, but her hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) numbers continued to increase. Her cancer tripled in one week, reaching her lungs.

"Is she even going to be alive?" Chad recalled thinking back then. "Are we past the point where chemo can help?"

Tiffany eventually started five-drug chemotherapy. She responded well.

Chad said he contemplated putting his baseball career on hold because the treatments were so harsh on Tiffany, but she said she needed him to pitch.

"We need normalcy," she said.

"It was good for me to pitch," Chad said. "If it distracted me for a half hour, it helped. It was a good escape."

"Imagine what it would have been like if he hadn't had that, and this was the only thing we thought about," Tiffany added.

Fortunately, by mid-July, doctors detected no cancer.

"I would never share any of this with anyone, but the Phillies and Jeff have been so fantastic," Tiffany said. "We wanted to say thanks."

"It's about thanking them publicly for having my wife here today," Chad said. "What they've done is unbelievable."

LA DAILY NEWS

L.A. Dodgers squander chances again but beat Philadelphia Phillies By JP Hoornstra

PHILADELPHIA >> The National League West standings show that the Dodgers have a fairly small margin for error.

The way they’re playing is another matter.

In beating the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 on Wednesday, and losing the day before, they’ve squandered more chances to score than their pitching staff has allowed.

In case the pressure wasn’t evident, the San Francisco Giants had already beaten the Atlanta Braves by the time Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen took over in the ninth inning – a score that shone brightly into the visitors’ dugout from the right-field scoreboard. By winning, the Dodgers maintained their two-game lead in the NL West.

Under the circumstances, it was more than a little frustrating to see the Dodgers leave 12 runners on base for the second straight day, going 2 for 8 with runners in scoring position.

In one instance, they ran out of a run when Yasiel Puig was caught in a rundown between third base and home plate. In another, Joc Pederson was thrown out trying to go from first to third on a single to right field with no outs in the fourth inning. Phillies right fielder Jeff Francoeur racked up his 125th career outfield assist on the play – his strong right arm hardly a surprise in his 11th major league season.

“That’s something we’ve been harping on for three or four years now,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said of his team’s baserunning mistakes. “It doesn’t seem to get a whole lot better.”

Should Pederson know better than to run on Francoeur?

“He should,” Mattingly said. “It’s back to your baserunning principles. You’re not going to make your first out at third base. If you’re going to go to third there, you’re going to be sure. It’s really just back to your principles that you learn coming through the minor leagues, that you’ve learned playing baseball your whole life.”

Maybe it was the sheer volume of mistakes against the team with the worst record in baseball -- the Dodgers also committed two errors in the field – but Wednesday’s win didn’t feel much different from Tuesday’s loss.

The Phillies got a big home run off a Dodgers reliever in both games. Maikel Franco’s grand slam off Joel Peralta made the difference Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Jim Johnson served up a two-run shot to Francoeur in the eighth inning. The Dodgers survived because starter Brett Anderson had “a lot of life” on his fastball, according to catcher A.J. Ellis, and Jansen struck out the side in the ninth.

Anderson (6-6) pitched six strong innings, allowing just four hits and one run, while walking one batter and striking out five. He touched 95 mph on the radar gun with his fastball, something he’s done in only four games this season.

The Dodgers are 6-0 when Ellis catches Anderson, who hadn’t pitched since July 28.

Ellis was seeing his first action since July 19. He injured his knee extending for a foul pop-up in that game and subsequently went on the disabled list.

“We have pretty good chemistry,” Ellis said of he and Anderson. “We both have pretty similar idea of what he can do on the mound. He’s very realistic what kind of pitcher he is. I try to be honest and realistic when I give my assessment of how to approach the game.”

Puig delivered the game’s decisive hit, a three-run home run off former Dodgers pitcher Aaron Harang (5-12) in the first inning. It was Puig’s eighth home run of the season, half of which have come in his last 13 games.

The Dodgers got a necessary insurance run in the fifth inning. Jimmy Rollins walked, went to third base on a single by Howie Kendrick, and scored on a groundout by Adrian Gonzalez.

L.A. Dodgers’ Joc Pederson is sacrificing power for patience By JP Hoornstra

PHILADELPHIA >> Joc Pederson hit his 11th home run of the season on May 22 against the San Diego Padres, a dramatic eighth-inning blast in a tie game that lifted the Dodgers to victory.

Pederson was facing an 0-2 count against hard-throwing reliever Joaquin Benoit, yet he swung hard enough to launch the ball 430 feet into the cheap seats.

After the game, a reporter asked Pederson if he ever shortens his swing with two strikes, as many leadoff hitters do.

“I think you’ve seen my strikeouts,” he said, smiling.

The anecdote is worth revisiting this week. Pederson’s swing path isn’t merely getting shorter at the plate with two strikes. It’s getting shorter in batting practice.

The shorter swing has come with a tradeoff. Pederson has one home run in his last 27 games after hitting 20 in his first 77 games.

If that’s the downside, the upside didn’t become apparent until recently: Pederson drew three walks Tuesday, three more Wednesday and enters Thursday’s series finale against the Phillies with six free passes in his last nine plate appearances.

How does a shortened swing result in better plate discipline?

“You can see the ball longer, react faster,” Dodgers hitting coach Mark McGwire said.

McGwire said that Pederson has been “doing a lot of work underneath” in the batting cage to shorten his path to the baseball recently. The need was evident.

Always a strikeout-prone hitter, Pederson was averaging one strikeout every 2.8 at-bats through July 1. In roughly one month since, he’s averaging one strikeout every 2.7 at-bats.

Meanwhile, his home run (one since July 1) and walk rates (none in 48 plate appearances prior to this week) were dropping. Pederson’s on-base percentage was a season-low .345 on Monday and his chances at winning the National League Rookie of the Year award were slipping as well.

“I just haven’t been swinging good, plain and simple,” Pederson said. “I’m just going to try to get back to the basics, hopefully wait for my pitch and swing at good pitches.”

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said he’ll accept some growing pains at the plate in exchange for Pederson’s steady defense.

“We made a conscious decision to be a better defensive club this year,” Mattingly said. “He’s a big part of that up the middle.”

There’s been no talk of sending Pederson to Triple-A, the manager said, so Pederson will do all his tinkering in major league batting cages.

“Things don’t happen overnight,” McGwire said. “Things take time. You have to have patience and understanding. … How he makes (the swing) his own will be how he’s shorter and quicker to the ball.”

ROTATION SHUFFLE?

Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw are starting Thursday and Friday against the Phillies and Pirates, respectively. Mattingly said he might split up the aces in two weeks, when the Dodgers have a pair of off-days sandwiching a two-game series in Oakland.

Two weeks after that, from Aug. 31-Sept. 2, the Dodgers play three home games against the San Francisco Giants. Will Mattingly line up the rotation in order for Kershaw and Greinke to pitch in the critical division series?

“That’s something we’ll definitely look at,” he said. “This year we haven’t really been able to do it all year. This year hasn’t worked out like that but we may have a chance to be able to do that.”

FRIAS EXITS EARLY

Pitcher Carlos Frias experienced a back issue during his latest start for Triple-A Oklahoma City and was removed after one inning as a precaution.

Curiously, the Dodgers did not announce that Frias had been activated from the 15-day disabled list and optioned to Oklahoma City at the time it happened. According to the transactions page on the team’s website, Frias was optioned Sunday. He was originally placed on the DL July 1.

But the right-hander had been medically cleared to rejoin the Dodgers when he took the mound in Triple-A Wednesday night.

Mike Bolsinger was removed from his start for Oklahoma City on Tuesday because he was struck on the forearm by a line drive. He’s expected to make his next start. Frias and Bolsinger are currently the team’s sixth and seventh starters.

ESPN LA

Pitching obscures Dodgers' heedless base running, yet again By Mark Saxon

PHILADELPHIA -- The Los Angeles Dodgers have one of the top pitching staffs in baseball, pulled along by a rotation with Cy Young contenders Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw and, perhaps, the comeback player of the year, Brett Anderson.

Their offense can be maddening to watch in its wild swings, but it is powerful, patient and, generally, productive. Their defense is radically improved and, while not earth-shatteringly great by advanced measures, is reliable again.

Oh, but about the base running. The Dodgers survived with a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday night, but an iffy bullpen had manager Don Mattingly worried, jokingly, about the health of his heart. He's more than fed up with the silly mistakes on the bases.

The Dodgers score highly in two of the three aspects of Fangraphs' WAR, but they are last in the major leagues in base running, minus-16. It won't get any better after they factor in Wednesday's foibles, with Joc Pederson getting thrown out at third by Jeff Francoeur for the first out of an inning and Yasiel Puig caught in a rundown to kill a bases-loaded threat on a ball that barely squirted away from catcher Carlos Ruiz.

The Dodgers left 12 men on base Wednesday and that doesn't count the two who took themselves off the bases, diffusing rallies that could have given the bullpen, Mattingly and the fan base a far less stressful evening.

The front office, armed with the numbers, has brought it to Mattingly and his staff's attention several times. Mattingly swears he brings it up to the players all the time. He said Pederson should have been aware how powerful Francoeur's arm is, for example, because they discussed it in the hitters' meeting before the series.

As for Puig's latest error in judgment on the bases, Mattingly -- who could be seen muttering something in the dugout on Phillies TV -- just shook his head.

"Not sure what happened with that, because that ball didn't get very far away," he said.

Mattingly made it sound like a systemic problem in baseball, young players showing up less aware of their surroundings when they are on base."It's something we've been harping on for three or four years now, honestly, and it doesn't seem to get a whole lot better," Mattingly said. "I think it's game awareness, really, that gets us caught. It's not that guys try to take extra bases, you don't mind that."

Base running might seem like a trifle compared to the ability to pitch, catch and hit the baseball, but you wonder how much more comfortable the Dodgers' lead would be had they simply run the bases like an average team. As it stands, they lead the San Francisco Giants by just two games and the Giants look like the hotter team at the moment.

Pitching, of course, is the Dodgers' salvation. Mattingly would love to have a sturdier bridge to closer Kenley Jansen, but he recognizes that few teams have one. Jim Johnson was having a pretty solid year for the Atlanta Braves and he was supposed to be that guy for the Dodgers, but he gave up a two-run home run to Francoeur in the eighth inning. In his first outing as a Dodger, he gave up a game-tying solo home run to Kole Calhoun.

Jansen settled things down with his most impressive outing in weeks, touching 96 mph on the radar gun and striking out the side.

Anderson, pumped up with extra rest, touched 95 mph himself and went another six strong innings, allowing just one run on four hits. He ranks 14th in the National League in ERA and, at least for the moment, he is the Dodgers' No. 5 starter. He said he doesn't mind being overshadowed by Kershaw, Greinke and the two pitchers the Dodgers got before the trade deadline, Mat Latos and young lefty Alex Wood.

Anderson said it fits his quiet personality, which somehow becomes assertive and snarky when he takes to social media.

"I can kind of sit back and not talk and judge and make observations in the corner and go out there every five, six or seven days and do my part and, at the end of the year, hopefully I can make as many starts as I can and dwell on it then," Anderson said. "I like it. I'm out of the limelight and let those guys have the spotlight."

If Greinke and Kershaw keep going like this and Anderson continues his impeccable Hyun-Jin Ryu imitation, the Dodgers might be able to paint over an ugly little blemish like poor base running, but they'd rather get rid of it altogether. Those kinds of imperfections have a way of showing up in the October light.

Puig, Anderson lead Dodgers past Phillies 4-3 By Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA -- A little extra rest did Brett Anderson a lot of good.

Anderson allowed one run in six innings, Yasiel Puig hit a three-run home run and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 on Wednesday night.

"I felt real good," Anderson said. "My fastball was the best it's been this year."

Howie Kendrick had three hits to help the Dodgers win for the fifth time in six games.

Anderson (6-6), who hadn't pitched since last Tuesday thanks in part to two off days since his last start, won for the first time since July 1. He allowed four hits, struck out five and walked two.

"He was really sharp tonight," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said.

Jeff Francoeur homered for Philadelphia. The Phillies lost for only the fourth time in their last 17 games. They still have the worst record in baseball at 42-66.

"Although we lost, we fought them pretty hard," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "We're not out of games. We had a good chance to come back and win that game. There are a lot of positives."

Kenley Jansen struck out the side in a 1-2-3 ninth for his 20th save in his 21st opportunity.

Philadelphia starter Aaron Harang (5-12) reverted back to the form that saw him lose eight straight games prior to winning his last start. The right-hander allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings. He tied his season high with five walks and had one strikeout.

"I wasn't establishing fastball command early enough," Harang said. "You put yourself in a hole when you fall behind in the count. I can't do that."

Puig launched a hanging curveball into the seats in left with two outs in the first inning to put the Dodgers up 3-0. "Poorly executed pitch," Harang said. The Phillies got a run back in the third on Maikel Franco's RBI double.

Harang labored through 104 pitches, but gave up only one more run on Adrian Gonzalez's fifth-inning groundout that put Los Angeles ahead 4-1.

The Dodgers could've increased the margin, but they left the bases loaded in the fifth and sixth innings and left two on in the seventh when Puig misjudged a ball that bounced off the dirt in front of catcher Carlos Ruiz. Puig was easily tagged out after trying to score from third.

"It's something we've been working on," Mattingly said. "It's just game awareness, back to baserunning principles. It's frustrating when you get outside your principles."

Francoeur's two-run shot to left in the eighth off Jim Johnson brought Philadelphia to 4-3. "He's come up big all year," Mackanin said.

ROLLINS' RAVES

Former Phillies standout Jimmy Rollins received a standing ovation during his first at-bat for the second straight night. Rollins, who starred in Philadelphia for 15 seasons prior to his trade to Los Angeles last offseason, went 0 for 3.

EXTRA WORK

Puig's homer was the Dodgers' lone extra-base hit, marking the 97th consecutive road game Los Angeles has an extra-base hit. Los Angeles, which started the streak last June 20, is 30 games away from tying the Cardinals for the modern-day NL record.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Phillies: 2B Chase Utley, on the DL since June 23 with right ankle inflammation, went 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI for Double-A Reading on Wednesday night against the Trenton Thunder in his third minor league rehab game. The Phillies will re-evaluate Utley on Thursday before determining whether to continue the rehab assignment or bring him back to the majors. Mackanin said Utley wouldn't play every day upon his return, "but he's going to get some playing time." ... RHP Chad Billingsley will have his surgically repaired right elbow re-examined by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles on Thursday. Billingsley, who is trying a comeback with the Phillies this season after two right elbow surgeries, has been on the DL since July 19. He is 2/3 with a 5.84 ERA in seven starts this season.UP NEXT

Dodgers RHP Zach Greinke (10-2, 1.41) takes the mound against RHP David Buchanan (2-5, 6.44) as the teams wrap up the three-game series Thursday. Greinke allowed one hit in eight scoreless innings, striking out eight and walking none, in the Dodgers' 6-0 home victory over the Phillies on July 9.

Rapid Reaction: Dodgers 4, Phillies 3 By Mark Saxon

PHILADELPHIA -- Good pitching covered up awful baserunning and iffy at-bats in the clutch. If you've followed the Los Angeles Dodgers this season, that might sound familiar.

For the second straight night, the Dodgers couldn't come up with a clutch hit to break the game open. When they weren't standing helplessly on the bases, they were running them with scant regard for details like knowing the situation. By some key measures, the Dodgers have been the worst baserunning team in the majors, a mild surprise.

But Brett Anderson pitched well and the bullpen held on, barely, in a 4-3 win Wednesday over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

How it happened: Anderson might be the least-appreciated member of the Dodgers. It's hard to get much attention on a pitching staff that includes Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke and two new acquisitions who were slotted ahead of him in the rotation, making him, effectively, a $10 million fifth starter. All Anderson does is keep going out and giving the Dodgers quality starts. He allowed just one run on four hits in six innings, his sixth quality start in his past eight starts, and that includes one 2⅔-inning outing in which he was knocked out by an injury.

He left the game with a 4-1 lead, but Jim Johnson, one of the pitchers acquired near the trade deadline, gave up a two-run home run to Jeff Francoeur in the eighth inning. Johnson also gave up a home run in his first outing for the Dodgers.

It shouldn't have been that close.

The Dodgers' two young outfielders made poor baserunning plays or the team could have had a far more productive night scoring runs. Joc Pederson tried to go from first to third base on Alberto Callaspo's single to right, but he picked the wrong guy to run on. Francoeur made a one-hop throw and Maikel Franco tagged him on the leg. The Dodgers loaded the bases in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings but managed to squander it all aside from one run. Yasiel Puig derailed the last threat with a bad read on a ball that squirted away from catcher Carlos Ruiz. The batter, veteran Jimmy Rollins, signaled for him to stop, but Puig either didn't see it or ignored it. He was easily caught in a rundown. The Philadelphia TV feed caught manager Don Mattingly making a disgusted face in the dugout.

What it means: The Dodgers kept their two-game lead in the NL West and cooled off a Phillies team that had gone 13-3 out of the All-Star break.

Notable: Pederson still isn't getting hits, but he is showing maturity by not chasing pitches out of the strike zone to get out of his slump. For the second straight game, Pederson walked three times. Before the game, manager Don Mattingly credited Pederson for his approach and said he sees it as a good sign that the rookie is seeing the ball better. … Jimmy Rollins, the Phillies' all-time hits leader, received another loud ovation during his first-inning at-bat and had to step out of the batter's box to acknowledge it. … The Dodgers are 6-0 when Anderson works to catcher A.J. Ellis.

Up next: Zack Greinke (10-2, 1.41 ERA) continues his Cy Young charge in an afternoon game that starts at 10:05 a.m. PT. The Dodgers face Phillies right-hander David Buchanan (2-5, 6.44 ERA).

Don Mattingly: Dodgers will stick with Joc Pederson By Mark Saxon

PHILADELPHIA -- Joc Pederson had a 1.057 OPS in April. He had an .868 OPS for May and June. He has a .500 OPS since July 1.

As Pederson's performance has leveled off and then dipped, the Los Angeles Dodgers have learned a few things about their rookie center fielder and how the rest of the league views him. They haven't changed their opinion of him or what he is going to become. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said the topic of demoting Pederson, batting .222 entering Wednesday's game, has never come up in discussions with the front office.

"He's part of what we do. We made a conscious decision to be a better defensive club this year and he's a big part of that up the middle,” Mattingly said. "At some point, if you hit .220 and you don't hit homers, then there are other things you try to do, you have to make organizational decisions, but I don't think there's anybody trying to make those right now. There's nobody who thinks Joc can't hit.”

Mattingly sees a pattern with how pitchers approach Pederson lately. Those with high-end stuff tend to go right after him, aware of his reputation for taking walks. Pitchers with more marginal stuff tend to pitch carefully. Journeyman right-hander Jerome Williams walked him three times Tuesday night.

With another struggling Dodgers hitter, the pattern is more monotonous, Mattingly believes. Pitchers simply aren't throwing Alex Guerrero strikes since his hot start. Guerrero, who had barely played in the major leagues before this season, hit .310 with nine home runs through May 25. Since, he is batting .155 with two home runs.

The Dodgers viewed Guerrero as the primary backup to third baseman Justin Turner, but his struggles have them considering trying Enrique Hernandez at third base at some point in the next week. Alberto Callaspo, batting .226, started at third base Wednesday. Turner, on the 15-day disabled list with a skin infection on his right leg, is expected to return Aug. 11.

"You are what you eat. If you don't swing at strikes, it's hard to hit,” Mattingly said of Guerrero. "In a sense, the league's not throwing him any strikes and he's continuing to swing at this point, so he's going to have to basically get himself strikes to hit.”

TRUEBLUELA.COM

Carlos Frias leaves start early, 2 days after he was optioned to Triple-A By Eric Stephen

Dodgers pitcher Carlos Frias left his start for Triple-A Oklhoma City after just one inning on Wednesday night, and he wasn't getting major league pay while doing so, either.

The Dodgers said on Wednesday night that they activated Frias from the disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Monday, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com and various

beat reporters in Philadelphia. The move wasn't noted at any point in the last three days in any of the game notes for the Dodgers nor Oklahoma City.

In fact, the OKC game notes for Wednesday's game list Frias as joining the team on a rehab assignment, though that apparently was in error.

Frias left his start after he "felt something," per J.P. Hoornstra of the LA Daily News, and was removed from the game as a precaution. It was related to Frias' back, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.

The right-hander made 10 pitches in the first inning on Wednesday against Colorado Springs, retiring all three batters he faced, on a bunt ground out, a line out and a fly out.

Frias was placed on the disabled list on July 5 with right low back tightness, and made a pair of rehab starts with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga before moving on to Oklahoma City.

Frias is 5-5 with a 4.39 ERA this season in 14 games with the Dodgers, including 12 starts, with 40 strikeouts and 24 walks in 69⅔ innings.

Yasiel Puig homers, Dodgers hold on to top Phillies By Eric Stephen

Yasiel Puig hit a three-run home run in the first inning and the Dodgers made it hold up in a 4-3 win over the Phillies on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

After a night full of squandered opportunities on offense in the series opener, the Dodgers wasted no time in cashing in on Wednesday. Phillies starter Aaron Harang allowed one-out singles to Howie Kendrick and Adrian Gonzalez, then one out later Puig deposited a pitch into the left field seats for a quick 3-0 advantage.

Puig in his career is 6-for-9 against Harang with a home run a triple and a walk.

The Dodgers tacked on a run against Harang in the fifth inning and were able to chase him after five innings with 104 pitches and five walks to his ledger.

Phillies pitchers threw 192 pitches on Wednesday, the third-most against the Dodgers in a nine-inning game this season.

Still frustrating

Not that the Dodgers didn't shoot themselves in the foot a few times on Wednesday, too. Joc Pederson made the first out at third base in the fourth inning, trying to advance to third on a single to right field, where Jeff Francoeur was ready, willing and able to make sure that didn't happen.

Kendrick, who had three hits on the night, lost track of the placement of the infielders at second base in the fifth inning, his late jump only allowing him to advance to third base on Andre Ethier 's single to center field with one out.

The Dodgers loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, but failed to score in those three frames, the latter ending with Puig out trying to advance home on a wild pitch that hit home plate umpire Alan Porter.

Rickety bridge

The inability to tack on extra runs made things close, especially when Francoeur hit a two-run home run against Jim Johnson in the eighth inning, cutting the Dodgers' lead to 4-3.

Johnson allowed two home runs in 49 appearances this season with the Braves, in 48 innings and 196 batters faced. Since getting acquired by the Dodgers he has allowed two home runs in two innings over two games. As a Dodger, Johnson has faced nine batters, struck out four, and allowed two balls hit in the air to the outfield. Both were home runs.

Pumped up

Brett Anderson was quite effective doing Brett Anderson things, striking out five and inducing 11 ground ball outs.

Entering play on Wednesday, Anderson averaged 91.85 mph on his four-seam fastball this season with a maximum of 95.64, per Brooks Baseball. But against the Phillies, per Gameday, he hit 95 mph twice and hit 94 mph 11 times in his six innings.

Anderson walked two, but only allowed one run on four hits, evening his record at 6-6.

Joc walks

Mired in the worst slump of his young career as the Dodgers ended their homestand, Pederson at the very least has been an active participant in his own plate appearances in the first two games in Philadelphia. Pederson walked in his first three plate appearances on Wednesday night, all against Harang.

That gave Pederson six walks in nine plate appearances in two games in Philly, matching his total for his previous 121 plate appearances. Pederson flew out to center field and popped out to shortstop in his final two plate appearances, so hit hitless streak did extend to 0-for-20.

Pederson is just the second Dodger in the last 19 seasons to walk at least three times in consecutive games, joining J.D. Drew (2005).

Select save company

Kenley Jansen retired the Phillies in order in the ninth inning for his 20th save of the season. Jansen joins Jim Brewer and Jeff Shaw as the only Dodgers pitchers with four seasons of 20 or more saves.

It was the 126th career save for Jansen, tying him with Brewer for fourth on the Dodgers all-time list. Up next is Todd Worrell with 127, then Shaw with 129.

Jansen struck out all three batters he faced, and on the season has 50 strikeouts and four walks.

Up next

Zack Greinke takes the mound for Thursday morning's series finale as the Dodgers try to capture the series shortly after breakfast, a 10:05 a.m. PT start. David Buchanan starts for the Phillies

Wednesday particularsHome runs: Yasiel Puig (8); Jeff Francoeur (10)WP - Brett Anderson (6-6): 6 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 5 strikeoutsLP - Aaron Harang (5-12): 5 IP, 7 hits, 4 runs, 5 walks, 1 strikeoutSv - Kenley Jansen (20): 1 IP, 3 strikeouts

Brett Anderson, Dodgers look for rebound vs. Phillies By Eric Stephen

The Dodgers look to rebound from their series opening loss with Wednesday night's game against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

The Dodgers got doubles from Jimmy Rollins and Carl Crawford in Tuesday's loss, which extended an obscure streak for the club. The Dodgers have at least one extra-base hit in 96 consecutive road games, per STATS LLC the second-longest streak in baseball dating back to 1914.

The 2005-2007 Cardinals have the longest streak of the last 102 years, with 127 straight games.

This season the Dodgers still have a scoring imbalance, averaging 4.44 runs per game at home, but just 3.80 runs per contest in the road grays.

In runs allowed the spread is closer, with the Dodgers allowing 3.40 runs per game at Dodger Stadium and 3.69 runs per game away from home.

Brett Anderson has a 2.94 ERA on the road this season, with a higher strikeout rate on the road (18.9 percent) than at home (15.2 percent). Anderson has only allowed three home runs to his 217 batters faced on the road, compared to seven to 264 batters at home.

That is helped by his 71-percent ground ball rate on the road, compared to 62.9 percent at home. On the season Anderson leads baseball with a 66.4-percent ground ball rate, the highest rate of his career.

Anderson will be throwing to catcher A.J. Ellis, who gets the start on Tuesday, one day after getting activated from the disabled list after he was sidelined with right knee inflammation.

Ellis has a six-game hitting streak, during which he is hitting .400/.455/.750 with a double, two home runs and two walks, and he has reached base by hit or walk in each of his last 10 starts.

At the plate Anderson still leads all major league pitchers with five walks this season, two more than any individual pitcher. His five walks are more than or as many as 10 National League teams' pitchers. But he hasn't walked since May 31.

It has been a weird year for Anderson at the plate. He has six sacrifice bunts, but otherwise is 2-for-29 with a double, those five walks, and 23 strikeouts. Outside of the bunts, Anderson has put the ball in play six times all year. In his last 12 starts, Anderson is 1-for-20 with two walks and 18 strikeouts.

Old friend Aaron Harang starts for the Phillies, winners of 13 of their last 16 games.

Adrian Gonzalez is 10-for-23 (.435) with three home runs, two doubles and two walks against Harang in his career. Alberto Callaspo is 5-for-13 (.385) with a double and three walks against Harang, and gets the start at third base over Alex Guerrero, who had started four of the last five games at the hot corner but was 0-for-7 with five strikeouts since his Friday home run.

DODGER INSIDER

A welcome ‘Welcome back’ for Kenley Jansen in Dodger victory By Jon Weisman

In a game that featured a three-run homer by Yasiel Puig in the first inning but 12 other runners subsequently left on base, the Dodgers held on for a 4-3 victory over Philadelphia tonight — with Kenley Jansen striking out the side in the ninth to end a streak of three consecutive games allowing runs.

With two months to go in the season, Brett Anderson has tied his career high of 13 quality starts. He pitched six innings of one-run ball, and has held the opposition to two runs or less in 10 of those 13 quality starts.

Is Alex Guerrero up there swinging? Check out his homer-walk ratio By Jon Weisman

Just out of curiosity, I took a look at Baseball Reference to see if the Dodgers had ever had a player hit double-digit homers in a season without having double-digit walks. Sure enough, Alex Guerrero has a chance to be the first.

Guerrero has 11 homers and five walks this year. The fewest walks by any Dodger with at least 10 homers belong to Glenn Wright, who had 11 homers and 12 walks in 1932.

Marquis Grissom is the lone Dodger this century to hit at least 10 homers in a season and have more homers than walks: 21 homers, 16 walks in 2001.

The only other Dodger to fit this description is Don Demeter, who had 18 homers and 16 walks in 1959. Raul Mondesi had 16 homers and 16 walks in 1994, as well as 30 homers and 30 walks in 1998.

If you think Guerrero’s numbers are unusual, just keep this in mind: He’s no Todd Greene. With the Texas Rangers, Greene had 10 homers and two walks — twice. First in 2002, then again in 2003.

NBC LA

Yasiel Puig Homers in 1st Inning, Dodgers Hold on to Beat Phillies 4-3 By Michael Duarte

Yasiel Puig hit a three-run homer in the top of the first inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers hung on to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park.

Brett Anderson (6-6) made his 21st start of the season for Los Angeles, the most he's made since his rookie season in 2009. The Dodgers lefty racked up another quality start allowing just one run on four hits in six innings. It was Anderson's seventh quality start in his last 10 appearances and first victory since July 1st.

"My velocity was the best it's been all year," Anderson said of the start. "I was able to make some pitches and got an early 3-0 lead, it's another quality start, and another team win."

Former Dodger Aaron Harang (5-12) got beat up by Puig in the first, but stayed steadfast allowing four runs on seven hits in five innings before leaving the game for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the fifth.

Puig opened his stance after LA's last homestand, and crushed a hanging curveball into the seats in left field to give the Dodgers an early 3-0 lead.

"We got a big hit by Yasiel early, and were able to hold them off," Dodgers' shortstop Jimmy Rollins said.

Kershaw Wins Battle of MVPs, Extends Streak

The Phillies would come back, after an RBI double by Maikel Franco in the third, Jeff Franceour belted a two-run blast off new Dodgers setup man Jim Johnson in the bottom of the eighth to shrink LA's lead to one.

Franceour punished the Boys in Blue with the bat for the second consecutive night finishing 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.

It was an ugly game for the Dodgers as they left 12 men on base a day after stranding 14 on Tuesday. Both Joc Pederson and Puig committed base-running blunders with the latter ending a bases-loaded rally in the top of the seventh.

"At the end of the day we got a W," Dodgers' manager Don Mattingly said. "But, you hope it doesn't come back to haunt you like it did last night."

Gold Glove first baseman Adrian Gonzalez uncharacteristically committed an error in the game, and was unable to come up with a one-hopper on a throw by Albert Callaspo in the fourth.

Kenley Jansen struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth, earning his 20th save of the season."Kenley was able to turn that gun up today and blow them away," Rollins said.

Rollins, Philadelphia's prodigal son, returned to the city where he spent the first 15 years of his career on Tuesday. Rollins received a standing ovation for the second consecutive game when he stepped into the batter's box before the first pitch.

Game Notes:Despite holding a two-game lead in the NL West, the Dodgers are a subpar 24-28 on the road this season.

Puig's homer in the first inning extended the Dodgers' streak of most consecutive games on the road with an extra-base hit at 97. It currently stands as the second longest streak in the live-ball area behind only the St. Louis Cardinals from 2005-2007 when they went 127 straight road games with an XBH.

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Dodgers’ Enrique Hernandez clowns Kelly Osbourne on Twitter over her comments on Donald Trump, Latinos and toilets By Bernie Augustine

The Dodgers’ Enrique Hernandez gave Kelly Osbourne a social media swirlie on Tuesday.

After the TV talker put her foot in her mouth while trying to flush Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, saying "If you kick every Latino out of this country then who is going to be cleaning your toilets, Donald Trump?" Hernandez dumped on the 30-year-old co-host of “The View.”

“Heading to the stadium early so that I can clean the toilets in the clubhouse! Right? @KellyOsbourne,” Hernandez, who is from Puerto Rico, tweeted.

Trump’s stance on immigration, particularly when it comes to Mexico, has been polarizing. In June, when announcing his run, Trump said Mexicans entering the U.S. are “bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

BROOKLYN DAILY EAGLE

Future Brooklyn Dodgers nicknamed ‘Superbas’ when they started spring training in Florida By Palmer Hasty

Where does a nickname like the “Superbas” come from? Hang on, we’ll try to explain.

Today, with all the media attention surrounding the U.S. government's case against the Washington Redskins nickname, we thought it would be interesting to look into the many nicknames of the Brooklyn Dodgers before they officially became the "Dodgers." In this case, "official" refers to when the nickname was stitched onto the uniforms in 1932.

While documenting the early Brooklyn Dodger footprints in Florida, we thought we would also take a look at the origins of one of the team’s early nicknames, the “Superbas,” which was a nickname for the team more than 100 years ago.

In researching the history of all the early Dodger nicknames, sports writers were still referring to them as the "Superbas" when they first came to Florida for spring training, to Jacksonville in 1907 and then later to Clearwater in 1923.