"No Manny? No matter — the Dodgers still have Hiroki Kuroda.

Kuroda's no-hit pitching through 71/3 innings lifted the Dodgers to a 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies and ace Roy Halladay on Monday at Dodger Stadium.

The win not only helped the Dodgers put Manny Ramirez's departure behind them, it also lifted the Dodgers to within 5 1/2 games of Philadelphia in the National League wild-card race.

Kuroda, perfect before walking Carlos Ruiz with one out in the sixth, didn't allow a hit until Shane Victorino singled to right field with one out in the eighth. As Victorino rounded first, the announced crowd of 44,896 loudly booed the Phillies center fielder and then quickly gave Kuroda a loud ovation.

They cheered again when, with Phillies on first and second and two out, Manager Joe Torre replaced Kuroda (10-11) with reliever Hong-Chih Kuo, but not before Torre clapped his hands as he approached Kuroda on the mound.

"I was hoping he was going to get it," Torre said of the near no-hitter. "His stuff was electric tonight."

Kuo then got Phillies pinch-hitter Mike Sweeney to hit into a force play to end the threat and he pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to protect the shutout and earn his seventh save."