Park Chan-ho from South Korea
PHILADELPHIA -- It wasn't picturesque. It wasn't always easy.
But it was a win.
And it was huge for the Dodgers.
Russell Martin and Matt Kemp hit RBI doubles in the 10th inning to lift the Dodgers over the Phillies, 5-3, before a sellout crowd of 45,307 on Thursday at Citizens Bank Park.
"We have a great team up and down the lineup," said Kemp, who was 3-for-5. "If we stay focused and keep grinding, everything will turn out the way we want to."
They had to stay focused after a bizarre ninth inning.
Jonathan Broxton had been virtually unhittable before this game. Carlos Ruiz didn't have any RBIs the entire season.
That's why it was stunning when Broxton allowed a two-run double to Ruiz with two outs in the ninth to erase what seemed to be an easy win for the Dodgers.
Ruiz's double to right-center field marked only the second blown save for Broxton, who now has eight saves in 10 chances. Broxton began the day with a 0.56 ERA and had worked 7 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings.
Broxton (4-0) picked up the win, but saw his ERA increase to 1.59.
Ramon Troncoso earned his second save of the season.
"My stomach is not good," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "No question, to digest it all, is the fact we were able to win, and [it] tells you something about our team."
With two outs and Andre Ethier on first, Martin (three hits) ripped a double to right off Chad Durbin, scoring the go-ahead run. Following an intentional walk to James Loney, Kemp then added his RBI double.
In the ninth, Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth struck out before Raul Ibanez singled and pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs walked, setting the stage for Ruiz.
"The ninth inning was just freaky," Torre said. "Two outs and nobody on, and our guy has just been automatic. They had good at-bats. Give them credit."
The Dodgers responded, improved to 24-12, took two of three in the series and moved 4 1/2 games ahead of the Giants in the National League West.
"The teams that are able to shake off bad things are the ones who are going to be playing in October," Torre said. "That's obviously our goal. You have 162 games in like 180 days and you don't have time to feel sorry for yourselves."
Loney's homer leading off the seventh against Cole Hamels gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.
Loney's drive, his second in two days, backed a solid performance by right-hander Chad Billingsley, who allowed one run and three hits in seven innings. Billingsley struck out nine in a terrific 123-pitch effort.
The 123 pitches marked a career high, eclipsing an 118-pitch effort against the Giants on July 30, 2008.
Billingsley closed the seventh by getting pinch-hitter Matt Stairs to fly out to center. Stairs ripped a solo homer in Game 4 of last year's National League Championship Series off Broxton. The shot broke a tie and gave the Phillies a 3-1 series lead.
"He was about empty at that time," Torre said, referring to the Billingsley-Stairs matchup. "Everything was all emotion."
Winning two of three was the best possible outcome, even if Billingsley was denied a victory.
"We won," Billingsley said. "That's all that matters."
Now it's on to Florida for a weekend series against the Marlins at Land Shark Stadium.
"When you do something like this on the road, it means a lot to us," Torre said. "They're a good team. They don't stop going after you."
Neither do the Dodgers.
"We always will fight," Kemp said. "We're never going to back down. We're going to keep coming at you. This was a very big win after the way the final couple of innings finished."
