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PHI@NYM: Lee strikes out seven over six innings

Cliff Lee will head to the mound yet again in search of his first win of 2012 when the Phillies host the Dodgers in the second game of a four-game series Tuesday.

While Lee looks for his first victory of the year, Chad Billingsley is seeking his first win since the second week of the season.

On Tuesday, Lee (0-2, 3.00 ERA) and Billingsley (2-4, 4.09 ERA) square off at Citizen's Bank Park in hopes of finally landing on the right side of the win column. Both starters have underwhelmed in recent starts, but over the course of the season, the lack of wins hasn't completely been their fault.

"[Billingsley] has kept us close enough that if we go out and get a bunch of runs for him, then we'll have a chance to win a game," manager Don Mattingly said after his last outing on Thursday.

"Yeah, I'd like to have a few wins, but what can you do?" Lee said last Wednesday after giving up three runs in six innings. "I can only control what I can control -- throw strikes and give the team a chance to win and get us as deep into the game as I can. I'm going to keep doing that regardless of what happens."

Lee, who was lights-out last June, went 0-1 with a 3.71 ERA in May. Billingsley went 0-3 with a 5.52 ERA during that span, not lasting past six innings in six starts.

Phillies: Utley impresses in return to action
Chase Utley went 3-for-4 with a home run and a double Monday in an extended spring training game in Clearwater, Fla. The second baseman, who hasn't revealed a timetable for his return, made his return to action as the designated hitter.

The five-time All-Star dealt with injuries during the 2010 and 2011 seasons and started 2012 on the disabled list with an injured left knee.

"How much he can play is kind of up to him, and if it flares up, that's baseball," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said before Monday's game.

Dodgers: Team purchases Tolleson's contract
Amongst a flurry of roster moves, the Dodgers purchased the contract of reliever Shawn Tolleson from Triple-A Albuquerque on Monday to replace Javy Guerra, who hit the disabled list with knee inflammation.

Tolleson was last year's organizational Pitcher of the Year and he was promoted to Albuquerque two weeks ago after starting the season at Double-A Chattanooga. In five appearances with the Isotopes, the reliever was 0-1 with a 2.82 ERA. In 22 1/3 total innings, the righty has struck out 34 while holding opposing batters to a .198 average.

Manager Don Mattingly compared him to another one of his relievers, Josh Lindblom, who is 2-0 with 25 strikeouts in 25 appearances.

"He's here and throwing the ball well," said Mattingly, who added that Tolleson has shown some good stuff.

Worth noting
• Cliff Lee went 5-0 with a 0.21 ERA in the month of June last season.

• Lee is 2-0 with a 0.40 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings pitched against the Dodgers.

• Chad Billingsley went 2-0 with a 0.63 ERA in his first two starts of the season, striking out a combined 15 San Diego and Pittsburgh batters.

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