Dodgers, Phillies triumph

CHICAGO — The Los Angeles Dodgers eased to a 10-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five National League Division Series and move just one win away from advancing to the next round.

In Philadelphia, the Phillies also took a 2-0 lead in the NLDS, Shane Victorino’s early grand slam homer powering them to a 5-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Dodgers romped to a second straight win at Wrigley Field with a five-run second inning, marked by a three-run double by catcher Russell Martin off Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano.

"We’re playing with a lot of confidence right now," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said.

L.A. pitcher Chad Billingsley held Chicago scoreless into the seventh inning to lay the foundations for a solid defensive display.

The Dodgers, led by Torre in his first year with the team, can advance to the National League Championship Series with a home win on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

Despite registering the best regular-season record in the National League (97-64), the Cubs are on the verge of suffering a humiliating first-round elimination for a second straight year.

Looking for their first playoff win since 2003, the Cubs’ wheels came off early as the Dodgers second inning featured four hits, including Martin’s blast and the first two of Chicago’s four errors for the night.

Those errors were "huge," Torre said. "If you give extra outs, chances are they’re going to be capitalized upon."

Dodgers left-fielder Manny Ramirez launched his record-extending 26th career postseason home run in the fifth inning, a solo shot into the clear, cool night.

"I got a good pitch and I drove it," Ramirez said.

Ramirez later scored L.A.’s seventh run on center-fielder Matt Kemp’s double in the seventh.

The capacity crowd of 42,136 was reduced from a partisan roar to sullen grumbling as it appeared the home team had blown their playoff chances yet again. The 2008 season marks an even century since the Cubs last won a World Series.

"We’ve talked about being a good defensive team and certainly tonight we weren’t," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "It wasn’t fun to watch, I can tell you that."

Billingsley, who owned a 16-10 record in the regular season, gave up five hits and struck out seven over six innings in his first playoff game as a starter.

"I was very impressed by Chad... he goes out there and controls the game," Torre said.

Piniella said he would probably rest right fielder Kosuke Fukodome for Saturday’s game after the Japanese slugger remained hitless in seven post-season at-bats.

"The kid’s struggling and there’s no sense sending him out any more," Piniella said.

The bases-loaded blast from Victorino off hard-throwing left-hander C.C. Sabathia came in the second inning after Milwaukee had taken a 1-0 lead in the first.

A weary Sabathia, who was 11-2 with a 1.65 earned run average since coming to Milwaukee in a midseason trade with Cleveland, was pitching on three days rest for a fourth successive start.

The victory registered by Philadelphia starter Brett Myers, who yielded two runs on just two hits in seven innings, moved the Phils within one win of reaching the NL Championship Series, where the winner advances to the World Series.

The series shifts to Milwaukee for Game 3 on Saturday.

It was the first career grand slam for Victorino, 27, who pulled a high breaking pitch over the left-field fence.

"I just tried to put a good swing on it," the outfielder, who also stroked a pair of doubles, said.

"He (Sabathia) left me a slider up to hit.

"It’s definitely big and nice to get that win off him. Since they got him in that trade he’s been lights out."

Sabathia left with two outs in the fourth after throwing 98 pitches, giving up six hits, four walks and all five runs.

The Phillies’ big second inning was set up by a hard-earned base on balls by weak-hitting Myers, who worked a nine-pitch walk off Sabathia with two outs and a man on third as the packed crowd roared their approval.

Sabathia then issued Jimmy Rollins another free pass to load the bases and set the stage for Victorino.

Victorino praised the determination of Myers, who in his next time up battled Sabathia through a 10-pitch at-bat.

"I had a big smile on my face watching (Myers’ at-bat) from the top step of the dugout," he said.

"He did it twice tonight. I tip my hat to him, on the mound and off. He did his job."

Myers fouled off tough offerings from the Brewers hurler and showed a keen eye at the plate.

"I really can’t explain it," Myers said.

"It was one of those freakish things. I was able to lay off some good pitches that he made and extend his pitch count.

"Baseball’s weird like that, where you can have a guy who pretty much can’t hit a lick go up there and battle a guy that’s as good as C.C. It’s just part of the game."

Milwaukee had its chance at a big inning in the opening frame when it had the bases loaded and one out after Myers walked J.J. Hardy to force in the first run of the game.

Corey Hart, however, bounced back to Myers, who started a home-to-first, inning-ending double play.