Kimbrel gave up a hit and struck out one batter for his only out Friday to record his eighth save of the season in a 4-1 win over the Phillies.
The Dodgers took a four-run lead into the ninth inning, but after Phil Bickford ran into trouble that included back-to-back doubles, Kimbrel was brought in to clean up the mess. The veteran reliever had given up three runs over his last two appearances himself, so an easy save chance might have been just what he needed to get back on track. Kimbrel has yet to blow a save chance this season, but his 3.27 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 31.3 percent strikeout rate are all failing to meet last year's standards.