LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Dodgers fought back in their major league baseball playoff campaign Sunday with a 7-2 triumph over Philadelphia that narrowed the gap in National League Championship Series.
Japanese righthander Hiroki Kuroda pitched six-plus solid innings and Rafael Furcal homered and scored two runs for the Dodgers, who now trail 2-1 in the best-of-seven series after dropping the first two games in Philadelphia.
Blake DeWitt highlighted a five-run first inning with a three-run triple, and Manny Ramirez scored a pair of runs for the Dodgers.
Kuroda allowed an RBI single to Pedro Feliz in the second before retiring the next 13 batters. He allowed three hits in the seventh before being replaced by Cory Wade.
Kuroda was charged with two runs and five hits, walking one and striking out three.
The Dodgers exploded in the first inning off lefthander Jamie Moyer, getting singles from Furcal and Andre Ethier before Ramirez plated the first run with an RBI single.
Moyer then hit Russell Martin with a pitch and struck out Nomar Garciaparra before Casey Blake made it 2-0 for the Dodgers with a single.
Matt Kemp struck out, but DeWitt followed with his triple to cap the five-run inning.
Moyer, 45, allowed a leadoff home run to Furcal in the second inning and got Ethier to fly out before being removed.
The third inning saw a benches-clearing, not-quite-a-brawl after Kuroda sent a fastball above the head of Shane Victorino.
Victorino pointed at the mound and his own body, yelling and gesturing to Kuroda to throw at his ribs, not his head.
After Victorino grounded out to end the inning, the benches cleared, but only light pushing and shoving ensued with no one ejected.
Kuroda's throw appeared to be retaliation for Martin getting hit by Moyer in the first, but it was clear the Dodgers were also still rankled by Phillies pitcher Brett Myers' actions in game two, when he knocked down Martin with a pitch and threw behind Ramirez.
"We wanted to send a message," said Ramirez, who had to be restrained by teammates. "I was mad at myself because of the thing that happened at Philly. We should have done that while we were there."
Given the history, Victorino was philosophical, saying he just objected to what he thought was a pitch at his head.
"Someone was bound to be hit on our team ... the situation called for it," he said. "The one thing is, don't throw at my head.
"I'll forget about it, show up tomorrow be ready to play," added Victorino. "I think it's over."
Dodgers catcher Martin said Kuroda "did it on his own" but added that the pitch that angered Victorino "wasn't at his head, it was over his head.
"They've been going up inside us, too. We're trying to make a statement. It's baseball, it's part of game. We're not head-hunters by any means, but when there's a statement to be made, you've got to get it done."
However, Martin wasn't about to let Ramirez make a big enough statement to get thrown out of the game, helping restrain his teammate.
"Manny looked a little more steamed than I was," Martin said. "I was trying to hold him back a little bit because we need that guy on the field."
Garciaparra added an RBI single in the fourth and finished his first start of the series 2-for-3.
Pat Burrell pulled another run back for the Phillies in the seventh, his single to center scoring Chase Utley.
Game four is on Monday in Los Angeles. Including regular season contests, the home team has won all 11 meetings between the two clubs.
Japanese righthander Hiroki Kuroda pitched six-plus solid innings and Rafael Furcal homered and scored two runs for the Dodgers, who now trail 2-1 in the best-of-seven series after dropping the first two games in Philadelphia.
Blake DeWitt highlighted a five-run first inning with a three-run triple, and Manny Ramirez scored a pair of runs for the Dodgers.
Kuroda allowed an RBI single to Pedro Feliz in the second before retiring the next 13 batters. He allowed three hits in the seventh before being replaced by Cory Wade.
Kuroda was charged with two runs and five hits, walking one and striking out three.
The Dodgers exploded in the first inning off lefthander Jamie Moyer, getting singles from Furcal and Andre Ethier before Ramirez plated the first run with an RBI single.
Moyer then hit Russell Martin with a pitch and struck out Nomar Garciaparra before Casey Blake made it 2-0 for the Dodgers with a single.
Matt Kemp struck out, but DeWitt followed with his triple to cap the five-run inning.
Moyer, 45, allowed a leadoff home run to Furcal in the second inning and got Ethier to fly out before being removed.
The third inning saw a benches-clearing, not-quite-a-brawl after Kuroda sent a fastball above the head of Shane Victorino.
Victorino pointed at the mound and his own body, yelling and gesturing to Kuroda to throw at his ribs, not his head.
After Victorino grounded out to end the inning, the benches cleared, but only light pushing and shoving ensued with no one ejected.
Kuroda's throw appeared to be retaliation for Martin getting hit by Moyer in the first, but it was clear the Dodgers were also still rankled by Phillies pitcher Brett Myers' actions in game two, when he knocked down Martin with a pitch and threw behind Ramirez.
"We wanted to send a message," said Ramirez, who had to be restrained by teammates. "I was mad at myself because of the thing that happened at Philly. We should have done that while we were there."
Given the history, Victorino was philosophical, saying he just objected to what he thought was a pitch at his head.
"Someone was bound to be hit on our team ... the situation called for it," he said. "The one thing is, don't throw at my head.
"I'll forget about it, show up tomorrow be ready to play," added Victorino. "I think it's over."
Dodgers catcher Martin said Kuroda "did it on his own" but added that the pitch that angered Victorino "wasn't at his head, it was over his head.
"They've been going up inside us, too. We're trying to make a statement. It's baseball, it's part of game. We're not head-hunters by any means, but when there's a statement to be made, you've got to get it done."
However, Martin wasn't about to let Ramirez make a big enough statement to get thrown out of the game, helping restrain his teammate.
"Manny looked a little more steamed than I was," Martin said. "I was trying to hold him back a little bit because we need that guy on the field."
Garciaparra added an RBI single in the fourth and finished his first start of the series 2-for-3.
Pat Burrell pulled another run back for the Phillies in the seventh, his single to center scoring Chase Utley.
Game four is on Monday in Los Angeles. Including regular season contests, the home team has won all 11 meetings between the two clubs.
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