Doomed from the start

Friday night’s game between the Dodgers and Florida Marlins game at Dodger Stadium was quick, lasting only two hours and 14 minutes.

For the Dodgers, it was over a lot quicker, lasting only three batters.

That’s all it took for Florida to score three runs, more than enough to hold off the Dodgers, 3-1, and deny them a chance to draw even with the NL West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks, who lost to the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday.

While it was back-to-back home runs, by Jeremy Hermida and Jorge Cantu, that gave Florida its lead, it was an impressive performance by 21-year-old Chris Volstad in his first major league start that sealed the victory.

Volstad went 8 2/3 innings, giving up a run and five hits with six strikeouts and a walk.

“The kid pitched super,” Dodgers Manager Joe Torre said. “We didn’t hit, but you have to give him the bulk of the credit. He not only threw strikes, but quality pitches.”

Of Volstad’s 100 pitches, 67 were for strikes.

“It’s frustrating,” Dodgers third baseman Blake DeWitt said. “He’s tall [6-7], so he’s got a good angle.”

After Florida shortstop Hanley Ramirez, who won Thursday night’s game with an 11th-inning home run, led off Friday night by getting hit by a pitch and stealing second, Dodgers left-hander Eric Stults gave up the two home runs, Hermida’s on a 2-0 pitch that landed in the right-field stands, and Cantu’s on a 1-2 pitch that soared into the left-field seats.

“He threw a couple belt high,” Torre said of Stults, “and they let him know about it.”

“I slipped two balls out on the plate,” Stults said. “I made some bad pitches and they took advantage of it. You’ve got to be careful you don’t make any mistakes because they have a lot of young talent.”

Stults didn’t give up another run in six innings, although he constantly found himself pitching out of trouble in yielding four more hits and three walks. He struck out six, throwing 102 pitches, 62 for strikes.

Meanwhile, Volstad kept sending Dodger after Dodger back to the dugout in frustration.

Making only his second big league appearance, Volstad was bidding to become the sixth pitcher since 1971 to record wins in his first two games, one as a starter, the other as a reliever. Last Sunday, he picked up his first win against the Colorado Rockies in a two-inning stint.

For Andruw Jones, the Dodgers’ struggling center fielder, it was another night of highs and lows with the crowd.

He struck out in the second.

Boos.

Singled in the fourth, but was then thrown out stealing.

Cheers followed by boos.

He made a sliding catch in center in the fifth.

Cheers.

He grounded into a double play in the seventh.

Boos.

The Dodgers finally got to Volstad, whose fastball was still registering in the 90s, his curveball still breaking sharply, in the ninth. Nevertheless, Delwyn Young opened the inning with a pinch single and, with two outs, scored on a single by Russell Martin.

That averted the shutout but not the loss.

Kevin Gregg came on in relief and retired Jeff Kent on a deep fly to right for his 19th save.

Short night all the way around.

--

steve.springer@latimes.com