The Los Angeles Dodgers look to make a bit of history on Thursday morning at Citizens Bank Park. The Dodgers have won the first three games of their series against the Philadelphia Phillies, all by one run, and look to complete the sweep on Thursday on getaway day. But in the long history of the Dodgers and Phillies, the Dodgers have never swept the Phillies in a four-game series in Philadelphia.
To make history on Thursday, the Dodgers have to beat Cole Hamels, who is 8-2 with a 2.81 ERA this season. Hamels has been superb thus far this season, with 80 strikeouts in 77 innings against just 16 walks. He is coming off a loss in which he allowed five runs at home to the Miami Marlins, but that snapped an eight-game and nine-start winning streak for Hamels.
Aaron Harang was 2-1 with a 2.67 ERA in five starts in May, and opened June with another quality start, allowing one run in six innings in a win over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
The Dodgers have somehow found a way to win three games in Philadelphia despite missing their best player in Matt Kemp, who is out at least a month with a left hamstring strain. Andre Ethier is in an 0-for-17 slump, yet the Dodgers keep rolling thanks to unsung heroes.
Elian Herrera drove in the winning run on Monday night in the ninth inning, then did the same with a two-run double in the eighth inning on Tuesday night. Dee Gordon, who scored the winning run Monday after tripling off Jonathan Papelbon, drove in two runs in the sixth inning Wednesday to turn a one-run deficit into a one-run lead.
One thing that is certain on Thursday is that Kenley Jansen will not pitch for the Dodgers. The closer threw 32 pitches on Wednesday in his third straight day of work. After earning saves in each of the first three games of the series, the Dodgers will have to turn elsewhere should they have a ninth inning lead Thursday, perhaps Josh Lindblom or Ronald Belisario.
Thursday's 10:05 a.m. PDT game will be televised by Prime Ticket. For more news and notes on Dodgers baseball, be sure to read True Blue LA. For your Phillies information, head over to The Good Phight, or read SB Nation Philly.
