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A-Gon deal pays immediate dividends; Dodgers beat Marlins

Aug 26, 2012 - 5:54 AM Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Adrian Gonzalez appears happy to be back in the Golden State.

Gonzalez smacked a three-run homer in his first official at-bat as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers in an 8-2 win over the Miami Marlins Saturday night.

"During my first at-bat, I had my adrenaline going," Gonzalez said during an on-field press conference after the game. "My mentality was to get the guy in from third, the second pitch was a fastball in. When I saw the flight of the ball, it was a great thing."

Gonzalez, who spent five years with the San Diego Padres from 2006-10, finished 1-for-5. He was the centerpiece of arguably the biggest waiver-wire trade in the history of Major League Baseball with the Boston Red Sox earlier Saturday.

Boston sent the first baseman Gonzalez, outfielder Carl Crawford, right-hander Josh Beckett and infielder Nick Punto to the Dodgers in exchange for first baseman James Loney and two prospects -- pitcher Allen Webster and infielder Ivan De Jesus -- along with two players to be named later.

The no-longer-cash-strapped Dodgers took on approximately $270 million in the blockbuster.

Gonzalez is set to earn $133 million over the next six years of his contract, a deal struck by former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein that expires following the 2018 season. Crawford, another Epstein acquisition who is signed through 2017, is due $108.5 million over the next five years.

Beckett still has $31.5 million remaining through the end of his deal in 2014 and Punto, who worked a pinch-hit walk in the eighth inning and scored a run, will make $1.5 million in 2013, the final season of a two-year package.

Gonzalez, Beckett and Punto sat at a table behind home plate after the game to answer questions from the press while fans stayed to listen to the new additions.

Andre Ethier, who tied a franchise record with 10 straight hits, went 4-for-4. His bloop single in the seventh inning tied a club mark that was set in 1919 by first baseman Ed Konetchy.

"Andre can hit, he's a streaky guy, shortening up his swing has helped him," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said.

Clayton Kershaw (12-7) fanned eight and surrendered two runs on three hits and two walks in eight innings for Los Angeles, which has won two straight on the heels of a three-game losing streak. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner is 5-1 with a 1.94 ERA in his last six starts.

Josh Johnson (7-11), who has lost four consecutive decisions, allowed six runs on 10 hits and a walk for Miami, which has dropped four straight contests.

"JJ was off on everything tonight," Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen said. "When you face that lineup, you need to bring your best stuff. Today he didn't have it with him."

After Jose Reyes' RBI groundout in the visitors first gave Miami a 1-0 lead, Johnson used 45 pitches to get through the Dodgers' four-run home half.

Back-to-back doubles by Mark Ellis and Luis Cruz brought home a run before Matt Kemp singled to center field.

Hitting cleanup and after ripping the first offering from Johnson just foul down the right field line, Gonzalez walloped Johnson's second pitch as it hooked around the right field foul pole.

"It is Hollywood, huh," Mattingly said jokingly. "Adrian's hit was huge, right out of the shoot. It was a good swing."

Gonzalez gave high-fives his teammates when entering the dugout and tipped his batting helmet as the raucous crowd cheered on. He became the sixth Los Angeles Dodgers player to homer in his first at-bat.

Giancarlo Stanton led off the second with a moonshot deep into the seats in left field, but Ellis answered by beginning the home half with a shot to center field, which made it 5-2.

The Dodgers then plated a run apiece in the third, fifth and eighth innings to conclude the scoring. A.J. Ellis had an RBI single to left field in the third, Ethier belted a solo shot to right field in the fifth and Cruz smacked a run- scoring single to left field in the eighth.

Game Notes

Johnson needed 89 pitches to get through his start ... Kershaw's season ERA sits at 2.84 ... Los Angeles finished 5-for-14 with runners in scoring position, while Miami was 0-for-4 ... Stanton's homer was his 28th of the year.