Dee Gordon had three hits, and Rubby De La Rosa allowed just one run in five innings, as the young Dodgers beat the Phillies 6-2 in the second game of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. It was the first major league start for both Gordon and De La Rosa, and the rookies managed to even overshadow the Dodgers' MVP. Matt Kemp homered and drove in two runs, and now leads the National League in home runs and runs batted in.
At first, it didn't look like De La Rosa would last very long, as he walked five in two innings, throwing 28 balls and just 19 strikes. Still, the Phillies were only able to score one run, and then De La Rosa settled down and was able to get through five innings without any further damage. The Dodgers bullpen retired 12 of 14 batters to secure the win.
Gordon had singles in each of his first three at-bats, and also stole a base and scored a run. He was the first Dodger since Jose Offerman in 1990 to have three hits and a stolen base in his first major league start. Gordon scored one of three Dodger runs in a third-inning rally that gave De La Rosa and the Dodgers the lead for good.
Kemp's home run came in the eighth inning, his fourth home run in his last four games. On the season, Kemp is hitting .320/.401/.596 and leads the NL with 50 RBI. His 17 home runs are tied with Jay Bruce for the National League lead. The Dodgers look for their fourth straight series win on Wednesday night, with Hiroki Kuroda facing Cole Hamels.
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