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 6-1 lead over the Philadelphia Phillies after three innings Sunday night as Game 3 of the NL championship series turned testy.
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.
ored. 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.
Martin was hit by the soft-tossing Moyer with first base open, loading the bases for Casey Blake, who hit an RBI single. One out later, DeWitt, one of three left-handed batters in the lineup against Moyer, lined a 2-2 delivery into the right-field corner to give Kuroda a five-run cushion.
aparra and Matt Kemp not taken called third strikes.
Kuroki 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 made one more pitch, retiring Andre Ethier on a flyout, and was relieved by Condrey after 32 pitches.
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