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Kent helps Dodgers win fourth straight

Apr 30, 2008 - 4:01 AM By Christopher Stock PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MIAMI (Ticker) -- Jeff Kent delivered a tie-breaking single in the ninth inning to give the Los Angeles Dodgers their fourth consecutive victory, a 7-6 triumph over the Florida Marlins on Tuesday.

Rafael Furcal grounded out to lead off the ninth, but Kevin Gregg (3-1) walked Andre Ethier, who moved up to second on a groundout. Kent then sent a single to center on Gregg's first pitch, and Alfredo Amezaga's throw to home was not in time as Ethier crossed the plate.

"Panic - what's that?" Kent said. "We have got 140 games left to play. There's no panic in any game that you play. There's panic when you get in the playoffs when you're down a couple of games."

Kent had three RBI and Ethier scored three times as the Dodgers pounded out 14 hits. Joe Beimel (2-0) pitched a scoreless eighth to earn the win and Takashi Saito pitched a perfect ninth, registering his third save of the season.

"It was a great grind-out game, especially with our record on the road," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "It was a good game for us."

In the eighth, pinch hitter Mark Sweeney doubled to right and Blake DeWitt rounded third base, but the relay throw from Dan Uggla was in time and Mike Rabelo held onto the ball as DeWitt crashed into him ending the inning. Rabelo jumped up and spiked the ball in excitement.

"Excitement from a kid and he'll probably learn from it," Kent said.

"I like guys full of ... but that's not the way we want to be portrayed as an organization or as a team," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He'll be fine but it's good to show a little emotion."

The Dodgers got to Marlins starter Andrew Miller early, scoring four runs in the second inning on back-to-back two-run singles by Matt Kemp and Kent for an early 5-0 advantage.

Miller was ineffective, giving up six runs and nine hits in three innings. Miller walked two and did not strike out a batter. The 22-year-old lefthander now has an ERA of 9.12 in six starts this season.

"I felt like I was throwing the ball pretty well," Miller said. "I was using all my pitches. I kind of got a lot of contact that you like to see but it just seemed like it always found holes and gaps. You have days like that."

Uggla hit a solo home run to left field in the third off Dodgers starter Derek Lowe for his fourth blast of the season and Rabelo hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth to pull the Marlins within 6-3.

With two outs in the fifth, Hanley Ramirez reached base on an error and Uggla walked before Jeremy Hermida drove them in with a broken-bat double down the right field line. Jorge Cantu completed the comeback with a single to left field to tie the game at 6-6.

Lowe tossed five innings, yielding six runs - three earned - and eight hits with a walk and two strikeouts.

"I left a lot of pitches over the middle of the plate," Lowe said. "They are a very good hitting team and if you make that many mistakes, they are bound to get to you."