PHILADELPHIA (AP) - When David Buchanan walked into the manager’s office after a rough outing in the minors, he didn’t expect to leave a major leaguer. Buchanan sure pitched like he belonged in his debut.
The 25-year-old righty threw five effective innings, Chase Utley hit a two-run homer and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 Saturday.
Filling in for injured ace Cliff Lee, Buchanan (1-0) gave the struggling Phillies a lift. He allowed two runs and five hits, striking out two.
He was pulled after one inning and four runs in his last start at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. A couple days later, manager Dave Brundage and pitching coach Ray Burris met with him to make sure he was fine.
“After 15 minutes, I was walking out when (Brundage) said: ’Are you going to be ready when Chooch (Carlos Ruiz) calls for a fastball?’” Buchanan said. “I stopped and he said it again. I was like, ’Are you serious?’”
Buchanan, who grew up a Braves fan in Georgia, had more than 15 family and friends in the crowd, including his parents.
“This is what I thought about since I was a kid,” he said. “I’m overwhelmed with emotions. It’s so humbling that so many people took the time out, got plane tickets and were here to see me.”
Ben Revere went 4 for 4 in his first game leading off since May 14 and Jimmy Rollins drove in two runs to help the Phillies snap a three-game losing streak.
Jonathan Papelbon tossed a scoreless ninth for his 13th save in 14 tries.
Dodgers starter Dan Haren (5-3) gave up five runs - two earned - and six hits, striking out seven in six innings.
Buchanan retired the first three batters he faced on grounders before the Phillies gave him a quick lead in the bottom half.
One pitch after catcher A.J. Ellis dropped his foul pop, Utley drove one out to right field for a 2-0 lead. Utley ended a homerless drought of 127 at-bats, dating to April 13.
“I just missed it,” Ellis said. “It was a bad play by me and it cost us the game.”
Revere started Philadelphia’s first with his first double since last July 8. One out later, Utley connected. Revere and Rollins hit consecutive RBI singles with two outs in the second to make it 4-0.
Rollins hit .308 with two homers and had a .438 on-base percentage in eight games batting first, which used to be his spot throughout his career. But manager Ryne Sandberg put Revere back atop the order after benching him a couple games.
“To be close to .300 this soon after ankle surgery is pretty impressive,” said Revere, who is hitting .289 after missing the second half of last year following an ankle injury.
Carl Crawford’s RBI groundout in the fourth cut it to 4-1. Dee Gordon hit an RBI single with two outs in the fifth to get the Dodgers within 4-2.
Revere reached on an infield single and went to third when Haren’s throw to first sailed down the right field line. He scored on Rollins’ groundout to extend the lead to 5-2 in the fifth.
Yasiel Puig led off the sixth with a triple off Jake Diekman. Two outs later, he scored on Carlos Ruiz’s passed ball.
Buchanan earned himself another start while Lee is sidelined. Lee has an elbow strain and it’s uncertain whether he’ll be ready when he’s eligible to come off the DL.
“It’s an outing he can build on as we need him,” Sandberg said.
NOTES: Ruiz hit a foul ball that landed in a vendor’s bin that he was carrying over his head while walking up steps in the right field stands. Fans cheered the unsuspecting vendor, who gave the ball to a young boy. … Buchanan is the first player from Georgia State to play in the majors. …. Phillies LF Domonic Brown left with mid-back spasms. He’s day to day. … Dodgers SS Hanley Ramirez was a late scratch because of a sore left calf. … Phillies 3B Cody Asche is day to day with a left hamstring injury. … The Phillies placed RHP Luis Garcia on the 15-day disabled list because of a right forearm strain. Buchanan took his roster spot. Garcia had a 15.75 ERA in three appearances. … Haren struck out the side on 11 pitches in the third. … The Phillies are 12-3 on weekends, 9-22 the other five days. … A.J. Burnett (3-3) faces Josh Beckett (2-1) in the series finale Sunday afternoon.
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