Dodgers beat Phillies 9-3 to tie Giants atop NL West

LOS ANGELES (AP) The Los Angeles Dodgers powered their way back to the top of the NL West on Tuesday night.

Howie Kendrick, Yasmani Grandal and Justin Turner homered, and the Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 9-3 to tie the San Francisco Giants atop the division after being eight games back on June 26 - the last time ace Clayton Kershaw pitched.

''That's just a testament of hard work throughout the season,'' Kendrick said.

The Giants lost 2-0 to the Miami Marlins earlier Tuesday to drop to 64-49. San Francisco had been alone in first place since breaking a tie with the Dodgers on May 15.

Los Angeles is a season-high 15 games over .500 and has won four in a row despite a rash of pitcher injuries, including Kershaw, who is on the 60-day disabled list with a mild herniated disc.

''I think that obviously when you look at the standings, there's something to hang your hat on a little bit,'' manager Dave Roberts said. ''I think the picture is how we're going about every day. Like I always say, the wins are a byproduct of our preparation and how we're playing the game.''

Kenta Maeda (11-7) yielded six hits and three runs in five innings.

Phillies right-hander Vince Velasquez (8-4) has not won in his last five starts. He gave up nine runs on 11 hits, including all three Dodgers homers.

''The mentality coming in here was to attack the hitters,'' said Velasquez, who grew up 30 miles east of Dodger Stadium in Pomona. ''I mislocated some pitches tonight and when you do that, they put them over the wall.

''They got the best of me tonight. It's a learning experience and I have to check the video and learn from this.''

Aaron Altherr put Philadelphia ahead 2-0 with a two-run homer in the second, but then Los Angeles scored four runs in its half of the inning.

Joc Pederson drilled an RBI single, Kendrick smacked a two-run homer - his seventh - and Corey Seager followed with an RBI single. Kendrick got a third RBI with a double in the fifth.

''If you handle your business, you'll be there at the end,'' Seager said. ''It's one of those things, you just have to keep going. Yeah, that's what we need. Keep winning games. Keep winning series.''

Grandal homered for the second night in a row - this one a two-run shot - in the third to extend his career-high homer total to 18 and his hitting streak to nine games.

Grandal leads the NL with 12 home runs since June 30.

Freddy Galvis belted his 10th homer in the fourth to cut it to 6-3, but Turner's homer in the home half increased the lead to 8-3. Turner's 21 homers are also a career high.

The Dodgers currently have the second-best home record (37-21) in the NL this season behind the Cubs. Los Angeles improved to 20-10 against Philadelphia since 2012 and has beaten the Phillies four straight and six out of the last seven at Dodger Stadium.

In the first two games of the series, the Dodgers have 24 hits, including seven home runs, and 18 runs. The series concludes with an afternoon game Wednesday.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Phillies: RHP Zach Eflin was placed on the 15-day disabled list with patellar tendinopathy in both knees. Eflin, the losing pitcher in Monday night's 9-4 game, allowed seven runs and seven hits, including three homers. ... LHP Elvis Araujo was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. ... LHP Brett Oberholtzer was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Angels.

Dodgers: OF Scott Van Slyke was placed on the disabled list Tuesday with right wrist irritation and IF Chris Taylor was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City. This is Van Slyke's second trip to the DL after spending most of April and May there with lower back irritation. ... LHP Rich Hill and RHP Brandon McCarthy threw bullpen sessions on Tuesday and are on schedule to make their respective starts on Friday and Saturday.

UP NEXT

Phillies: RHP Jeremy Hellickson (9-7, 3.72) pitches Wednesday and is 4-1 in his last seven games with a 2.64 ERA.

Dodgers: LHP Scott Kazmir (9-5, 4.51) pitches Wednesday's series finale. He went 5 1/3 innings against Boston on Aug. 5 and gave up five hits and five runs, including two homers.