James Loney, Dioner Navarro help Los Angeles Dodgers beat Florida Marlins 3-2 - MLB Updates
James Loney launched a lead-off homer and Dioner Navarro drove in a leading run as the Los Angeles Dodgers routed Florida Marlins 3-2 in the first outing of the three-game series, at Dodgers Stadium on Friday night, May 27.
Loney launched an impressive 401-feet one-run homer off the Marlins starter Javier Vazquez to kick the game off in the second inning.
"It kind of gets in your head a little bit because you never see that," said Navarro. "You just got to be ready for one pitch and hit it hard. I've been seeing the ball good and I've been hitting the ball good."
The 1-0 lead turned out to be supportive in setting the Dodgers’ starter Jon Garland into a leading position with the ball. Garland held the opposition scoreless in his first five pitches and allowed just two hits before he yielded his first run in the sixth
inning. Garland allowed a walk, consumed a base stealing single and took two batters on a double play before allowing a game tying RBI single to Gregg Dobbs.
"I was effectively wild the first couple innings. It kind of helped me out, kind of kept them off-balance," Garland told reporters.
Andre Ethier did not settle down in the game as he blistered a 386-feet long one-run homer off Vazquez, who after the second inning has not allowed any hit, in the sixth inning to take the lead back into the Dodgers’ side.
By the time, Garland allowing just one run on five hits, walking four and striking-out two batters, has entered into the seventh before Scott Elbert replaced him to pitch last three strong-pitches of the inning.
In the eighth inning though, closer Rubby De La Rosa took responsibility but allowed a walk and two singles before allowing a game-tier RBI single to Dobbs, who struck it to right-field. However, La Rosa threw a strong last inning to hold the Marlins scoreless
in the top of the ninth inning.
The game might have gone into extra innings if Navarro had not driven in an RBI single on the last pitch of the game by the Marlins’ closer Clay Hensley. The Marlins, who have come off sweeping the World Series defending champions in three-game series on
Thursday, now have lost their 20th game of the season.
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