For post-game analysis, visit Dodger blog True Blue LA and Phillies blog The Good Phight.
Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) – Hiroki Kuroda carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a three-game set.
Kuroda (10-11) had the no-hitter going until one out in the eighth when Shane Victorino punched a single to right for the lone hit of the game for the Phils. Kuroda finished the game giving up two walks and a hit batter with seven strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings.
"I was hoping he was going to get it, but I could tell he was g a little edgy at the end," said Dodgers manager Joe Torre. "His stuff was electric tonight."
Rod Barajas hit a solo home run while James Loney also had an RBI for the Dodgers, who have won five of seven.
Roy Halladay (16-10) gave up three runs on 10 hits with a walk and four strikeouts over seven innings for the Phillies, who were coming off a three- game sweep of the Padres.
Philly now sits three games back of Atlanta, which defeated New York on Monday, for first place in the NL East. Philly maintained its 1 1/2 games lead over San Francisco for the wild card spot as San Francisco fell to Colorado.
The Dodgers got on board in the first inning as Loney hit a two-out single that scored Ryan Theriot. On the play, Jayson Werth threw out Andre Ethier at third to end the inning.
Los Angeles got another run in the second for a 2-0 lead. Casey Blake led off with a single and moved to third on Jamey Carroll's single. Barajas then hit into a double play that plated Blake.
Kuroda was dominating the Phils through the first five innings as the only baserunner he allowed was when he hit Werth with a pitch in the second inning.
Barajas led off the bottom of the fifth with a homer to left for a 3-0 lead.
Kuroda walked Carlos Ruiz with one out in the sixth, but struck out Halladay and Jimmy Rollins to end the frame and keep the no-hitter intact.
In the eighth, Werth led off with a walk and Raul Ibanez followed with a grounder that was a potential double play, but Werth broke it up and Ibanez was safe at first. Victorino then broke up the no-hitter with a single to right.
"When he's got his stuff going he's tough to face," said Victorino. "I got a fastball over the middle of the plate and it was something I could handle. Our pitchers have done a great job. We have to get our offense going."
After Ruiz struck out, Hong-Chih Kuo came on to relieve Kuroda and got pinch- hitter Mike Sweeney to groundout to end the inning.
Kuo stayed on for the ninth and set the Phils down in order for his seventh save of the season.
The Phils have been shutout 11 times this season...The Dodgers have blanked their opponents 15 times this season...Theriot, who went 1-for-3, has an 11- game hitting streak...Kuroda has won his past two starts...Halladay has lost his past two starts after winning the previous six.