Knobler: Dodgers Eyeing Phillies Jimmy Rollins

As if today hasn’t already been filled with a lot of news regarding the trade deadline, Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reports that the Los Angeles Dodgers are targeting Phillies short stop Jimmy Rollins for offensive help.

The Dodgers are without their own short stop Dee Gordon and would look to fill a hole. They are also reportedly interested in other Phillies Cole Hamels and Shane Victorino, but their lack of good prospects leaves Hamels a long shot.

If the Dodgers can’t pry Rollins from a struggling Phillies team, Victorino would be their go-to guy.

Los Angeles sees the Phillies as sellers at the deadline. And Rollins’ name fits because Dodgers first base coach Davey Lopes is a good friend of Rollins dating back to when he coached with the Phillies.

“The key to that [Phillies] ballclub has always been Rollins, as far as I’m concerned,” Lopes told [Knobler] last month in Philadelphia. “When Jimmy rolls, they roll.”

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Flash Gordon: Dee Gives Dodgers Go-Ahead RBIs

Dodgers 6, Phillies 5
WP – Chris Capuano (8-2, 2.82)
LP – Kyle Kendrick (2-5, 4.44)
SV – Kenley Jansen (9)

PHILADELPHIA — For the entire series, little Dee Gordon has been a thorn in the side of the Phillies.

The son of former Phillies reliever Tom Gordon made himself a part of the Dodgers’ win against the Phillies again, this time hitting a two-run go-ahead single in the 6th inning that gave the Dodgers the 5-4 lead. Los Angeles went on to win 6-4, dropping the Phillies for their fifth straight time.

The Phillies blew a 4-2 lead in that inning that they created in the 5th. Ty Wigginton led off with a solo home run and Jimmy Rollins hit a two-run homer later in the inning to give the Phillies a 4-2 lead.

Then the Dodgers went on to score a three-run inning of their own in the 6th with Jerry Hairston RBI single and two-run singe by Gordon.

Lee Remains Winless Again

Dodgers 2, Phillies 1
WP – Chad Billingsley (3-4, 3.80)
LP – Cliff Lee (0-3, 2.92)
SV – Kenley Jansen (8)

PHILADELPHIA — Teams win together and teams lose together.

For Cliff Lee, the loss hurts especially for him. The first win of the year eluded Lee once again as he fell to 0-3 on the season despite boasting a 2.92 ERA as the Phillies lost their fourth straight game, 2-1, to the Dodgers.

The Phillies are back under .500 for the first time since May 23.

Again the loss can be pitted on a lack of finishing innings. They managed seven hits in the game, going 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and stranding seven.

Hunter Pence’s RBI single in the 1st inning was the lone run the Phillies would score for Lee.

The Phils held the 1-0 lead into the 8th inning until the Dodgers scored the tying and go-ahead runs off Lee in the inning. The inning itself was bizarre, seeing Dodgers runners twice tossed out at third.

Matt Treanor hit a lead-off double but was out at third on a Tony Gwynn Jr ground out. Gwynn was then thrown out at third on a single by Bobby Abreu. Dee Gordon then singled to put two men on with two outs.

Ellian Herrera then hit a two-run, two-out double off Lee, scoring both Abreu and Gordon to give the Dodgers the 2-1 lead.

Lee went 7 2/3, allowing two runs on six hits and a walk while striking out 12. He was the first pitcher to lose a game despite throwing 92 strikes when Aaron Harang did it in September 2007.

2B: Rollins (9).

Boxscore.

Papelbon Sounds Off After Tough Loss

Dodgers 4, Phillies 3
WP – Ronals Belisario (1-0, 1.26)
LP – Jonathan Papelbon (0-2, 2.31)
SV – Kenley Jansen (7)

PHILADELPHIA — Poor umpiring had a lot to do with the Phillies dropping a third straight game.

It also had a lot to do with why Jonathan Papelbon was upset in the 9th inning and after the Phillies tough 4-3 loss to open a four-game series against the Dodgers.

Papelbon though he had struck out Dee Gordon, the lead-off hitter in the 9th inning of a 3-3 ballgame. But home plate umpire D.J. Reyburn called a ball on the 1-2 count, extending the at-bat.

On the very next pitch, Gordon lined a ball into the gap in right center, going to third on a lead-off triple. He scored on Andre Ethier’s RBI single the very next at-bat to give the Dodgers the 4-3 lead.

Papelbon sounded off at Reyburn, who was called up from the Triple A to umpire in the Majors, but wasn’t ejected. Papelbon then proceeded to sound off on Reyburn after the game in front of reporters.