Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Ryan Howard homered for his first RBI of the season and Joe Blanton pitched eight effective innings to lead the Philadelphia Phillies over the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 on Monday night.
Jimmy Rollins also went deep and Jonathan Papelbon retired pinch-hitter Adam Kennedy on an easy popup with a runner at third to end it. The last-place Phillies have won three straight and get ace Roy Halladay back from the disabled list Tuesday night after missing seven weeks with a lat injury.
Howard, the 2006 NL MVP who averaged 132.7 RBIs over the previous six seasons and led the NL three times with 140 or more, missed Philadelphia’s first 84 games because of the ruptured left Achilles tendon he sustained while grounding out to end last year’s NL division series against St. Louis. His leadoff homer in the fourth was his first RBI in six games and 18 at-bats since coming off the disabled list.
Blanton (8-8) allowed two runs and six hits, struck out seven and walked none while helping the Phillies win three straight games for the first time since a four-game stretch May 23-26. The right-hander did not give up a home run for the first time since May 8 against the New York Mets, after 11 consecutive starts in which he allowed at least one and 19 overall.
The Dodgers have the second-fewest homers in the majors, just one more than San Francisco.
Papelbon pitched a scoreless ninth for his 20th save in 22 attempts.
Nathan Eovaldi (1-6) allowed three runs and six hits in five innings before he was removed for a pinch-hitter. The 22-year-old right-hander was moved up a day in the rotation along with Chris Capuano because of an injury to Chad Billingsley, scratched from Sunday’s start because of inflammation in his right elbow.
Capuano, who was scheduled to start the opener of this three-game series, lost 7-2 to San Diego after the Dodgers made five errors and gave up six unearned runs.
Juan Pierre, who spent three seasons with the Dodgers and was pushed out of a starting role in 2008 after the acquisition of Manny Ramirez, opened the scoring for the Phillies in the second inning with a two-out RBI single.
Rollins made it 2-0 in the third, driving a 3-2 pitch into the left-field pavilion for his ninth homer. Howard, who flied out to the left-field warning track his first time up, homered to left on Eovaldi’s first pitch of the fourth to make it 3-0.
The Dodgers had runners at the corners with one out in the bottom half when third baseman Placido Polanco fielded Juan Rivera’s grounder and got lead runner Mark Ellis caught in a rundown. Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz ran him back to third, then made a lunging tag with the ball in his other hand, and third base umpire Mike Winters made the “safe” call as Ellis trotted home. But plate ump Bill Miller ruled him out for running outside the baseline trying to avoid Ruiz.
Jerry Hairston Jr. led off the Dodgers’ sixth with a double and advanced on a grounder by Ellis that second baseman Chase Utley fielded in the hole before throwing to first. Howard never got the handle on the ball, but first base umpire Wally Bell signaled “out,” thinking that Howard had simply dropped the ball after making the transfer from his glove.
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly came out to argue. But before he got to Bell, he was already huddling with the other umpires and the call was reversed. Then Phillies skipper Charlie Manuel came out to argue and got a full explanation before returning to the dugout. Matt Kemp came up and drove in Hairston with a groundout.
Rivera led off the seventh with a single and scored on Blanton’s two-out wild pitch.
D-BACKS 5
REDS 3
CINCINNATI — Miguel Montero drove in four runs with a bases-loaded double and a solo homer Monday night, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 5-3 win shortly after the Cincinnati Reds learned they’ll have to try to hold onto first place in the NL Central without Joey Votto.
An MRI found the All-Star first baseman has torn cartilage in his left knee that will require surgery and sideline him for three to four weeks.
The slumping Diamondbacks scored four runs in the first off Bronson Arroyo (4-6), who lasted a season-low three innings. The Reds had gotten impressive starts during a six-game winning streak that boosted them into first.
All-Star Wade Miley (10-5) gave up three runs in 5 2-3 innings for Arizona. J.J. Putz got his 17th save in 20 chances.
ROCKIES 5
PIRATES 4
DENVER — Dexter Fowler hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Rockies overcame a tying three-run homer by Pedro Alvarez to get the rain-soaked victory.
Wilin Rosario had two hits and scored the winning run for Colorado.
Neil Walker had three hits and Andrew McCutchen added two for the Pirates, who have lost three of four.
Rosario led off the ninth with a single against Jason Grilli (1-3) and moved to third on a one-out single by pinch-hitter Jason Giambi. Fowler hit a deep fly to McCutchen in center field and Rosario slid home ahead of the throw.
Rex Brothers (5-2) got the win despite serving up Alvarez’s homer following a 53-minute rain delay with one out in the top of the ninth.
CARDS 3
BREWERS 2
MILWAUKEE — Allen Craig hit a bloop RBI single off closer John Axford to put St. Louis in front, helping the Cardinals rally for an important victory.
Milwaukee was leading 2-0 going into the ninth but Axford struggled with his control right away, eventually loading the bases with two outs and surrendering a tying, two-run single to Matt Holliday.
Axford (2-6) then was lifted after giving up the single to Craig, which dropped softly into shallow left field. Jason Motte (4-3) got the win.
St. Louis had lost three straight after getting swept by Cincinnati.
Corey Hart homered for the Brewers. Ryan Braun added an RBI double in the eighth.
MARLINS 5
NATIONALS 3
MIAMI — Hanley Ramirez hit a two-run homer, Carlos Lee drove in two runs, and Miami beat Washington to earn a split in the four-game series.
Carlos Zambrano (5-7) allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings to pick up his first win since June 3.
Heath Bell pitched a scoreless eighth, and Mike Dunn pitched the ninth to record his first career save. Dunn allowed a two-out single to Bryce Harper and walked Ryan Zimmerman before striking out Adam LaRoche to end the game.
Zimmerman reached base five times and was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. Nationals starter Edwin Jackson (5-5) allowed four runs in five innings.
