The set-up: Chase Utley enjoyed a fairytale return to Philadelphia on Tuesday night, with two HRs, including his 7th career grand slam. LA's 15-5 win, coupled with yet another San Francisco loss (Giants are now a MLB-worst 9-20 since the All Star break), gives the Dodgers a half-game lead over the Giants in the NL West. As for Philadelphia, the loss snapped a four-game winning streak, although the Phillies can't possibly still harbor any serious playoff hopes (Philadelphia sits 7 1/2 games out of the NL's second wild card spot, with four teams ahead of them).

The pitching matchup: Scott Kazmir (9-6, 4.44 ERA) will take the mound for the Dodgers on Wednesday, opposed by Philadelphia rookie Jake Thompson (1-1, 8.68 ERA). Kazmir pitched well against the Phillies in Los Angeles last week, allowing two runs on four hits over six innings while striking out six and walking three. However, he suffered a 6-2 loss, dropping to 1-3 (5.46 ERA) in six career starts vs. the Phillies (teams are 2-4). The loss was the third in a row for Kazmir, who had been 9-3 through his first 20 starts of 2016. Thompson's major league debut came back on August 6, when he allowed six ERs on seven hits in just 4 1/3 innings at San Diego. He did rebound though last Friday, allowing three runs on two hits in five innings in a 10-6 win over Colorado

The pick: The Dodgers have finally caught the Giants and will be buoyed by the fact that Kazmir is 5-0 on the road in 2016, while while limiting the opposition to a .207 batting average. The Dodgers are an 8* play.