LAD@MIA: Ethier singles to center to plate Kemp
MIAMI — The Marlins rallied with a four-run fifth inning off Joe Blanton to beat the Dodgers on Saturday night, 7-3, despite three hits and two stolen bases by Matt Kemp.
Blanton, seemingly cruising with a one-hitter and a 2-0 lead through four innings, allowed four consecutive one-out hits to the Marlins in his second Dodgers start after a no-decision in his debut against the Cubs.
The Dodgers’ offense got nine hits in five innings off Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco, but settled for only a pair of runs. Kemp had his first multi-steal game in 13 months, while former Marlin Hanley Ramirez went 1-for-4 with a double-play grounder.
Nolasco did a high-wire act the first two innings, escaping two-out, bases-loaded jams by getting a flyout from James Loney in the first inning and a strikeout of Kemp in the second.
The Dodgers finally scored in the fourth, but only because Shane Victorino was fast enough to beat out what had the makings of an inning-ending double-play grounder. A.J. Ellis, who started the threat with a one-out double, was singled to third by Blanton and came home when Victorino beat shortstop Jose Reyes’ relay to first.
The Dodgers added a run in the fifth. Kemp singled, stole second and scored on the second hit of the game by Ethier, who is 8-for-13 lifetime against Nolasco.
The Marlins had only one baserunner through the first four innings, but Miami made plenty of noise in the four-run fifth, initially when Giancarlo Stanton hit a monstrous foul ball before striking out, then by stringing doubles from Donovan Solano, Nick Green and John Buck, Green’s careening off Jerry Hairston’s back-hand attempt at third base.
Pinch-hitter Austin Kearns singled Buck to third and Buck scored on a safety squeeze by Gorkys Hernandez. Justin Ruggiano singled home Kearns to give the Marlins a 4-2 lead.
Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
