Phillies thrash Dodgers 11-0, lead series 2-1

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Philadelphia thumped the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-0 on Sunday to snatch a 2-1 lead in the National League Championship Series.

Philadelphia starting pitcher Cliff Lee struck out 10 and allowed three hits over eight innings after the Phillies raced to a 4-0 lead in the first.

"We had a pretty nice lead so it made a little easier on me," Lee told reporters. "So things went well."

Lee, a mid-season acquisition who won the American League Cy Young Award for Cleveland in 2008, did not give up a walk and allowed the Dodgers, the NL's best hitting team, only three singles on a cold night. Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez had two of the hits.

"Obviously I wanted to go back out there (to pitch the ninth), but getting the win was the main thing," said Lee, who contributed an eighth inning single before yielding to Chad Durbin on the mound.

"He's pretty damn special," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said of Lee.

The win was the most lopsided post-season victory for Philadelphia.

BIG START

Ryan Howard gave the World Series champions the perfect start with a two-run triple in the first.

The hit enabled the Philadelphia first baseman to celebrate at least one RBI in seven consecutive playoff games, a Major League best for one postseason.

"It's the playoffs," Howard said. "You just try to step your game up as much as possible. You try to get on base anyway you can."

Jayson Werth followed Howard with a two-run homer to center field to give the Phillies the four-run lead.

They added two more runs in both the second and fifth innings to stretch their advantage to 8-0 before Shane Victorino completed the rout with a three-run homer in the eighth.

The Dodgers pulled starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda after less than two innings. Kuroda, who had not pitched since September 28 because of a bulging disk in his neck, was charged with six runs and six hits while striking out one.

Howard had another RBI in the second on a ground out.

Game Four of the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Philadelphia on Monday. The Dodgers send Randy Wolf, a former Phillies pitcher, to the mound against Philadelphia right-hander Joe Blanton.

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Salvo, North Carolina; Editing by Peter Rutherford)