For The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) -Blake DeWitt capped a five-run first inning with a bases-loaded triple against Jamie Moyer, and the Los Angeles Dodgers built a 7-1 lead over the Philadelphia Phillies after six innings Sunday night during a testy Game 3 in the NL championship series.
The benches cleared moments after Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda threw a pitch over Shane Victorino’s head, apparently an attempt to retaliate for Philadelphia’s Brett Myers throwing behind Manny Ramirez in Game 2.
Victorino jawed at the right-hander while pointing at his head and upper body as if to say: “It’s OK to throw at my body, but not my head.”
Victorino grounded out to first baseman Nomar Garciaparra and then exchanged words with Kuroda near the bag. Both dugouts emptied and the bullpens followed. No punches were thrown, but an angry Ramirez had to be restrained by teammates, manager Joe Torre and an umpire.
l carrying the fire from the NLCS duels between the Dodgers and Phillies in the late 1970s, also engaged in some trash talk before order was restored. Both benches were warned but there were no ejections.
Rafael Furcal hit a leadoff homer in the second for the Dodgers, trying to cut Philadelphia’s lead to 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.
The Dodgers were aggressive from the start, getting three singles and a run after Moyer’s first five pitches. Ramirez, who came in batting .340 lifetime against the 45-year-old left-hander, lined a single to left that scored Furcal. It was Ramirez’s 72nd RBI in the postseason, eight shy of Bernie Williams’ record.
The Dodgers were back at Chavez Ravine for the first time since sweeping the Chicago Cubs in the division series. Energized by a mostly blue-clad sellout crowd (that included Tiger Woods) waving white towels, the Dodgers showed they weren’t ready to throw in the towel. In fact, they were quite combative.
Los Angeles catcher Russell Martin was plunked on the left leg by Moyer’s pitch his first time up. Martin came up again in the second and was spun around by Clay Condrey’s fastball up near his head before grounding into an inning-ending double play.
lined a 2-2 delivery into the right-field corner to give Kuroda a five-run cushion.
The damage could have been considerably worse had Garciaparra and Matt Kemp not taken called third strikes.
Kuroda gave up a run in the second on a two-out RBI double by Pedro Feliz after a leadoff double by Ryan Howard, who was left at the plate in the first when Chase Utley was thrown out trying to steal.
The Dodgers got the run back in the bottom half when Furcal drove Moyer’s first pitch of the inning to left-center for his first homer of the postseason.
Moyer, the second-oldest pitcher to start a postseason game behind Jack Quinn of the 1929 Philadelphia Athletics, made one more pitch and retired Andre Ethier on a flyout. Moyer was relieved by Condrey after 32 pitches.
Garciaparra made it 7-1 with an RBI single in the fourth against J.A. Happ, the first run scored against either team’s bullpen in this series.
After giving up Feliz’s hit, Kuroda took a string of 13 consecutive outs into the seventh inning.
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