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Dodgers Rise to Moment for Dreifort

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Times Staff Writer

The Dodgers are focused on the schedule and finally like what they see after early complaints about their situation.

Capitalizing on seemingly favorable matchups is the next step, and they moved in that direction Friday night in a 2-1 victory over the Florida Marlins.

It took the Dodgers a while to get going against Florida, but those who remained in a crowd of 47,383 at Dodger Stadium witnessed more clutch performances from a club hoping to make a strong statement before the end of the month against the struggling Marlins, Colorado Rockies and Milwaukee Brewers.

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“This is a key stretch for us,” said catcher Paul Lo Duca, who scored the go-ahead run in the eighth on Shawn Green’s two-run double after being hit by a pitch. “No disrespect to anyone, but you need to beat the teams you’re supposed to beat at home, and we’re in one of those stretches right now.”

Green, who had three hits, delivered with the Dodgers trailing, 1-0, in the eighth, connecting on a two-run double to provide the difference. Mike Kinkade reinforced his growing reputation as one of the National League’s top pinch-hitters, getting the Dodgers started with a pinch-hit single.

Center fielder Dave Roberts made a nifty sliding catch in shallow right-center in the ninth to rob former Dodger Todd Hollandsworth of a leadoff hit, and shortstop Cesar Izturis went deep into the hole to take a hit away from Alex Gonzalez.

Manager Jim Tracy said Roberts will sit out the next few games after aggravating his right hamstring injury.

“I feel good, then after I play it seems to [get worse],” Roberts said. “[Friday] when I was getting loose, I knew I shouldn’t have played. It feels like I’m on the verge of blowing it out whenever I really push it.”

Closer Eric Gagne made the most of the timely assists, working a perfect inning to record his 13th save in as many chances and complete the victory for Darren Dreifort (3-3). Dreifort was impressive in his longest outing since May 2001. The right-hander gave up eight hits and one run in eight innings, striking out eight in an 85-strike, 120-pitch outing.

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“Dreifort is back in the groove again,” Marlin Manager Jack McKeon said. “He really had a good slider.”

Florida starter Carl Pavano actually outdueled his counterpart in seven scoreless innings. However, reliever Armando Almanza (3-2) wasn’t as effective after being summoned to start the eighth.

It appeared the Dodgers (22-20) might waste Dreifort’s effort, but they got going just in time.

“We need to start moving up [in the NL West], and now is as good a time as any,” Green said. “You want to do it earlier in the season rather than have to make up ground in August and September.

“To be able to get the win for Dreifort, it felt good. On the flip side, Pavano threw a really good game too. I got a couple of cheap hits tonight, but that last one felt good.”

Beginning play Friday, the Marlins (19-24), Rockies and Brewers were a combined 20 games below .500, so it’s easy to understand why the Dodgers pointed to this part of the schedule to make a move.

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They did it in the eighth Friday night.

Tracy, who earned his 200th victory, got the matchup he wanted in the eighth when McKeon brought in Almanza to face left-handed batter Larry Barnes, the announced hitter for Dreifort. Kinkade entered and singled through the hole at short, advancing to second on Roberts’ sacrifice bunt.

Almanza’s wild pitch put Kinkade on third, and the left-hander hit Lo Duca as the ball bounced before it reached the plate. On an 0-and-1 count, Green doubled into the gap in right-center.

“That was a tough one to lose,” Pavano said. “We had our chances.”

Florida scored its run in the fifth on Luis Castillo’s nine-pitch at-bat against Dreifort. He delivered a run-scoring single to drive in Pavano, running on contact, from second.

The Marlins squandered late opportunities, stranding leadoff batter Juan Pierre at second in the seventh after a two-out double and Derrek Lee at second after his one-out double in the eighth.

The Marlins had regrets after Green’s big hit.

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