Marlins Rally in Ninth to Beat the Dodgers, 5-3

It’s a season of firsts for the Florida Marlins, who keep a record of seemingly everything the team does for the first time. The list includes some important statistics, such as their first victory--against the Dodgers--and a few questionable items, such as the first game they played in vests--a loss to San Diego.

So the Marlins, coming off their first series sweep of the season--against the Padres--can now add their first ninth-inning comeback victory, by 5-3 Monday night over the Dodgers before 37,942 booing fans at Dodger Stadium.

The Marlins had been 0-27 in games during which they trailed after the eighth inning.

But it is Todd Worrell’s comeback, which is not the first of his career, that took the beating. Entering the ninth inning with a 3-2 lead, Worrell made his fourth appearance since coming off the disabled list May 28. However, it was the first time he had been put in a closer-type situation since he went down three games into the season because of a pulled forearm muscle in a game against the Marlins.

Within minutes, Worrell, facing the bottom of the batting order, had given up three consecutive singles, which scored Greg Briley and Jeff Conine to put the Marlins ahead, 4-3.

Worrell then walked pinch-hitter Rich Renteria, putting Walt Weiss on second base, then bounced a pitch in the dirt to move them up. Weiss then scored on Chuck Carr’s sacrifice fly. Worrell’s pitching line: one inning, three earned runs, three hits, one walk, one strikeout and one wild pitch.

“My arm didn’t feel bad tonight, but I’m sure it looked like it hurt to anyone watching me,” Worrell said. “I just wasn’t sharp. I had only one pitch tonight, my fastball, and that wasn’t in the strike zone. It’s a struggle when you are trying to come back and then compound the situation without having control of your other pitches.”

In Worrell’s last one-inning outing June 5, he threw three pitches and retired the side in order. The Dodgers had a 5-1 lead when Worrell entered the game, but he said he actually threw better Monday night.

“I still have a lot of work to do, but that only comes with getting out there,” he said. “It makes it tough when I’m working on stuff with one-third of the season gone, but I have to battle back through this. I might have to be ugly to get good.”

Worrell (0-1) relieved Jim Gott, who had pitched a scoreless eighth inning in relief of Orel Hershiser. Hershiser had held the Marlins to three hits while striking out eight through seven innings.

“I think I threw about 40 pitches in the first two innings before I settled down, and I didn’t feel I had enough stuff to continue,” Hershiser said. “The bullpen is an outstanding group of guys and they have done a great job, but it’s not going to happen every time.”

Hershiser, who had pitched a total of 6 1/3 innings in his last two starts, was shaky in the first inning, beginning with the walk he issued to leadoff batter Carr, who went on to steal his 25th base of the season and later scored on a groundout.

Hershiser had a 5-4 record with two complete games and was coming off a shutout before his outing May 26 against the San Diego Padres, during which Kurt Stillwell’s line drive hit his right elbow in the second inning. Hershiser finished the inning, but came out of the game.

In his next start, at St. Louis, he gave up five earned runs and lasted only 4 1/3 innings, leaving the game with his team ahead 9-6, but with two runners on base. Despite Hershiser’s early departures, though, the Dodgers won both games.

“After my last start, I was so erratic because I was so strong from not pitching very much, so this time I just wanted to concentrate on location,” Hershiser said.

The Dodgers were held to three runs and four hits against starter Ryan Bowen, who lasted 6 2/3 innings. Bowen’s downfall was seven walks. Richie Lewis gave up one hit in relief in the eighth inning and earned the win (4-0) and Trevor Hoffman pitched a hitless ninth inning for his second save.