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Tomko pitches Dodgers past Marlins

May 10, 2007 - 3:37 AM MIAMI (Ticker) -- Dontrelle Willis continued to struggle against the Los Angeles Dodgers, while Brett Tomko turned his season around against one of his favorite opponents.

Tomko worked 6 2/3 strong innings for his first victory of the season to lead the Dodgers to a 5-3 victory over the Marlins.

Pitching a no-hitter for five innings, Tomko (1-3) allowed three runs and five hits while striking out six and walking two. He improved to 7-1 lifetime in 10 starts against the Marlins.

"It's nice," Tomko said. "It's not fun to be on the other end of it. I feel like I've been throwing the ball decent this season, I've just been coming up short so it's nice to get that first one on the board."

Jonathan Broxton, the losing pitcher in Tuesday night's game, tossed 1 1/3 innings before Takashi Saito worked around a two-out single in the ninth for his 10th save.

Willis (5-2), meanwhile, again struggled against the Dodgers, yielding four runs and six hits in seven innings. He walked five and struck out one in falling to 1-5 in his career vs. Los Angeles.

Willis' 7.10 lifetime ERA against the Dodgers is his highest against any National League foe.

"I don't know," Willis said when asked for an explanation of his struggles with the Dodgers. "I have no idea."

The 25-year-old lefthander got two quick outs in the first before allowing a run on a single to Russell Martin and three consecutive walks.

Los Angeles added to the lead in the fourth on singles by Adam LaRoche and Brady Clark and a sacrifice by Tomko that brought in a run. Rafael Furcal followed with a two-out double to plate Clark for a 3-0 lead.

Willis ran into more two-out trouble in the fifth, yielding a long homer to left by Olmedo Saenz to push the advantage to 4-0.

"I just couldn't find it," Willis said. "I had tough rhythm. I felt like I was falling behind the ball instead of getting on top of the ball, and I just had to kind of downshift and make a pitch."

Tomko was breezing through the Marlins' lineup, setting down the first eight batters before walking Willis in the third.

Coming off an outing in which he walked a season-high six batters in 4 2/3 innings, Tomko threw just 58 pitches in the first five frames.

"I felt like I was getting a little bit more behind my fastball to be honest," Tomko said. "I used it a little more effectively than in Atlanta. I threw my best sinkers tonight. I did a better job of mixing things up, but I don't feel that different tonight."

Tomko lost his no-hit bid and shutout in the sixth.

Hanley Ramirez stroked a one-out single to center field, stole second and scored on Dan Uggla's base hit to center. Miguel Cabrera followed with another single, putting runners on first and second, before Tomko regrouped to strike out Josh Willingham and Aaron Boone.

"There have been circumstances that have gotten him into a position where he's just getting his first win of the season tonight," Dodgers manager Grady Little said. "Some circumstances have been beyond his control.

"It's good to get it out of the way like a hitter getting his first hit because it could be on his mind more than it should."

It was the fourth time this season a pitcher has had a no-hitter through five innings against Florida.

"Tomko pitched well," Marlins first baseman Aaron Boone said. "He had a good fastball and he was down in the zone with it. And he didn't miss. We just didn't get a lot of real good pitches to hit and drive. He was better than us tonight."

The Marlins knocked Tomko out of the game in the seventh.

Mike Jacobs, nursing a sore thumb that had forced his to miss Tuesday's game and riding an 0-for-9 streak, delivered a two-out, two-run pinch homer to right to reduce the deficit to 4-3.

In Monday's loss to the Dodgers, Jacobs struck out three times against Brad Penny, with the bat flying out of his hands twice.

The Dodgers added a key insurance run in the ninth, when Martin scored on Wilson Valdez's bunt single. Martin had singled and moved to third on Wilson Betemit's pinch double.

"The first couple of at-bats, I didn't feel good," Valdez said. "The last two at-bats I just said I have to do something for the team. I said, 'I have to take advantage.'"