DeWitt triple leads Dodgers to huge Game 3 win over Phillies

All the fun came in the first few innings Sunday night, and by the time the game cruised to an end the Los Angeles Dodgers were right back in the National League Championship Series.

The Dodgers scored five in the first, led by a bases-loaded triple from Blake DeWitt, on the way to an emotional 7-2 home victory over the Philadelphia Phillies that left the best-of-seven at 2-1 Philadelphia. Game 4 is Monday night on the west coast.

Hiroki Kuroda threw six-plus innings of excellent work to earn the win, and he precipitated a low-action bench-clearing argument by throwing one right over Shane Victorino's head in the third inning.

That toss seemed to even things out for one that went behind the head of L.A.'s Manny Ramirez in Game 2 and the affair settled down from there in front of a record Dodger Stadium crowd of 56,800.

Moyer pounded

Philly starter Jamie Moyer looked every one of his 45 years, lasting just 32 pitches through 1 1/3 innings of six-run, six-hit work. 

Dodgers put up that five-spot up in the first before the veteran lefty had broken a sweat.

With two on, Ramirez singled to left field, scoring Rafael Furcal from second base and it was 1-0. Moyer then plunked Russell Martin on the knee to load them again before getting Nomar Garciaparra looking at strike three.

Casey Blake then singled home Andre Ethier to make it 2-0 and, an out later, DeWitt bounced one deep into the right field corner at Chavez Ravine, clearing the bases and giving Los Angeles a huge cushion.

Philadelphia got a run back on a single by Pedro Feliz that plated Ryan Howard in the top of the second but Moyer gave up a home run to Furcal in the bottom of that frame to extend the lead to 6-1.

An out later, Moyer was done.

"He had a tough time tonight," said Philly manager Charlie Manuel. "They came out swinging on him.

"They were not taking very many pitches and they hit some balls hard and also seemed like everything they hit went through for a hit."

Much ado led to nothing

The arguing began in earnest at the top of the third inning.

Moyer had hit the Dodgers' Martin in the knee in the first, then reliever Clay Condrey put one up by his head in the second.

Kuroda replied by sailing the ball over Victorino's helmet in the third and, when he grounded out, the dugouts emptied.

Ramirez — who had one thrown behind his own head back in Game 2 by Brett Myers and wasn't happy about the lack of a response from the Dodger pitching staff at that time — was right at the front of the pack over by first base.

The umpires broke everyone up and warned both teams, meaning anyone who hit a batter the rest of the night was likely to be ejected.

Afterwards, Victorino reiterated what he seemed to be yelling at Kuroda while pointing at his helmet during the third inning incident.

"Someone was bound to get hit, the situation called for it," the Phillies' outfielder said. "Just don't throw at my head."

Martin had an answer for that, too.

"It wasn't at his head, it was over his head," the Canadian said. "We're just trying to make a statement. It's part of the game. Manny looked a little more steamed than I was."

Philadelphia threatened one more time, in a promising seventh inning that produced just one run.

Three base hits with none out chased Kuroda in favour of reliever Cory Wade. The righty, who started the season in double-A, got the next three Phillies in order to keep the score at 7-2.

Jonathan Broxton finished up in the ninth for the Dodgers.