Dodgers-Phillies Preview

The Los Angeles Dodgers are coming off their best offensive performance of the season. Now if they can only keep that going with Chad Billingsley on the mound.

The Dodgers try to give their starter some support when they conclude a three-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday at Citizens Bank Park.

Los Angeles (65-61) has won five of seven following a 3-13 stretch, pulling back within 2 1/2 games of San Diego for the NL wild card.

The Dodgers set a season high in runs and recorded 18 hits in a 15-3 victory over the Phillies (66-59) on Wednesday to even this series. They had 12 runs over the final four innings after failing to score more than seven in any of their previous 25 games.

Andre Ethier had a two-run homer and an RBI double, James Loney also drove in three runs and Matt Kemp had a career-high four hits with two RBIs for Los Angeles, which has won five of its last seven games in Philadelphia.

Center fielder Juan Pierre went 3-for-6 to extend his hitting streak to 10 games and is batting .442 (19-for-43) during that stretch. He is 8-for-20 versus the Phillies this season.

"We were struggling a little bit, but we knew we were going to start winning some games," said Kemp, who is 12-for-25 during a six-game hitting streak. "Everybody knows how good we are and how good we can play. Hopefully we just keep it up."

Billingsley (7-4, 3.63 ERA) is hoping the same thing as he goes for his first win in a month.

The right-hander went 3-0 with a 3.63 ERA in his first seven starts after joining the rotation on June 21, but is 0-4 with a 4.33 ERA in his last five. Billingsley, however, has received just three total runs of support during his losing streak.

The 23-year-old Billingsley allowed three runs and eight hits over five innings in a 7-4, 14-inning defeat to Colorado on Saturday. He is 3-4 with a 3.92 ERA in 12 starts since coming out of the bullpen in his first 23 appearances of the season.

Billingsley didn't receive a decision in his only career start versus the Phillies on July 18, giving up four runs through five innings in a 5-4 Los Angeles win.

Philadelphia has dropped three of its last four contests, but is one game behind the Padres for the wild card. The injury-plagued Phillies took a major blow Wednesday when All-Star left-hander Cole Hamels was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained elbow.

He is the 19th player Phillies player to go on the DL this season. Due to its depleted roster, Philadelphia recalled Fabio Castro (0-0, 12.27) from Triple-A Ottawa on Tuesday to make his first major league start in the finale.

He will become the 12th pitcher to start for Philadelphia this season.

"We have to get consistent pitching day in and day out to get us enough wins to get in the playoffs," said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, whose bullpen gave up 10 runs and 11 hits in three innings Wednesday.

Castro is 0-1 with a save and a 3.31 ERA in 25 career relief appearances with Philadelphia and Texas, including five games earlier this season for the Phillies. The left-hander, who has never faced the Dodgers, could shift to the bullpen after this spot start.