Thursday's game: Dodgers 7, Braves 2
Dodgers Win 7th Straight Home Game
Even without his best stuff, Derek Lowe was good enough, and the Dodgers' youngsters were even better.
Lowe threw six shutout innings, Matt Kemp and J.D. Drew each had three-run homers and Los Angeles beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-2 Thursday night, their seventh consecutive home victory.
The streak equals the Dodgers' longest since May 14-22, 2003. They have won 19 of their last 24 overall.
"These kids are not just doing good, but contributing at the highest levels," Lowe said. "It's exciting to see this many young kids play this well."
The old guy wasn't too bad, either, although he wasn't impressed with his performance.
Lowe (4-3) gave up five hits, struck out three and walked two on his 33rd birthday. He won his third consecutive start -- a span in which he has a 0.45 ERA.
"It was a struggle," he said. "I never really got in a good rhythm. There were guys on base every single inning."
The Phillies thought otherwise, though.
"He was getting ahead of us and keeping the ball off the plate," manager Charlie Manuel said. "He was making us hit the ball where it was pitched and he pitched his game. He pitched to left-handed hitters inside with his slider, then he sunk the ball away on them."
Lowe helped himself at the plate, too, hitting a two-out double in the second before Rafael Furcal walked and Kemp homered for the first time in the majors.
"When you're 1-for-24, you'll take anything," Lowe said.
Since losing to Atlanta 11-10 on opening day, Lowe has a 4-2 record in his last 11 starts. The right-hander pitched out of a jam in the sixth, getting Aaron Rowand on a grounder to shortstop with runners on second and third.
"Outside of that first game, this guy's kept us right in every ballgame," manager Grady Little said. "He's very dependable."
Gavin Floyd (4-3) allowed seven runs and seven hits in four innings, struck out three and walked four in his first loss since April 25 against Colorado. The right-hander also has three no-decisions since his last win against the New York Mets on May 11.
"I felt good, but I was rushing myself sometimes, made a couple of pitches up and they hit home runs," he said. "I'm trying to dominate out there and right now I'm doing the opposite. My confidence is fine. I know what I have. It's just that I've got to go out there and pitch like I can."
Floyd split time between Triple-A Scranton and Philadelphia last season, with losing records in both places.
"He's a guy who's young and he's having a hard time getting established at the major league level," Manuel said. "He needs more experience and the more you send him out there, eventually this guy's going to be a good big league pitcher because he's got the size and he's got the arm. But until he develops and matures, he might struggle."
Floyd struck out Willy Aybar with the bases loaded to end the first. But in the second, Kemp connected on a 1-0 pitch that struck the left field pole, giving the Dodgers a 3-0 lead.
"I was wondering if it was going to go foul," Kemp said. "Everybody was saying the bat boy almost threw the ball in the stands. I got the ball."
Martin led off the fourth with a solo homer. With two outs, Kemp walked and Nomar Garciaparra singled to third before Drew's three-run homer made it 7-0.
The Phillies scored twice in the ninth. With one out, Tim Hamulack gave up an RBI single to Mike Lieberthal and a run-scoring groundout to pinch-hitter Abraham Nunez.
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