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Loney, DeWitt help Dodgers rout Marlins

May 1, 2008 - 3:59 AM By Christopher Stock PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MIAMI (Ticker) -- Thanks to James Loney and rookie Matt DeWitt, the Los Angeles Dodgers laid it on the Florida Marlins

Loney and DeWitt each had three-run triples and Rafael Furcal tied a career high with five hits as the Dodgers routed the Marlins, 13-1, on Wednesday.

Russell Martin hit a solo homer and Matt Kemp had three hits and drove in three runs for Los Angeles, which has won five straight to move one game over .500.

"Everybody knows that we weren't going to struggle all year because we got of young guys that can play," Furcal said.

Chad Billingsley (1-4) picked up his first win of the season by yielding a run, three hits and four walks while striking out eight over seven sparkling innings. It was the most impressive performance of 2008 for the righthander, who entered the contest with a 6.53 ERA.

"I've been pitching fairly well, but it's big to get the win," Billingsley said. "We scored some runs early and that made me relax, focus and pound the zone with fastballs."

Furcal was 5-for-6 with four singles and a double to raise his batting average to .381. The 30-year-old last had a five-hit games on July 10, 2005, against the Milwaukee Brewers. He also scored three times.

"You don't have a true appreciation for Rafael if you just see him once in a while," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "What he does is certainly legitimate with how he gets ready for a game and is a motivator for everyone in the clubhouse in a fun type of way. He certainly puts his money where his mouth is."

Loney had a three-run triple in the seventh inning off Florida reliever Taylor Tankersley - part of a four-run frame - that gave the Dodgers a comfortable 8-1 advantage.

"It was a pretty good ballgame there for seven innings," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. " We couldn't get Loney out and it just kind of snowballed."

An inning later, after Los Angeles had plated two more runs to make it 10-1, DeWitt hammered a bases-loaded triple to right to put the Dodgers up by a dozen runs. The rookie drove in four on the night.

Los Angeles took an early lead off Florida starter Scott Olsen (3-1) when Martin led off the second with a blast over the left field wall. Kemp delivered a two-run single in the third and Jeff Kent added an RBI single in the fifth to put the Dodgers up, 4-0.

Olsen gave up four runs, seven hits and two walks while striking out two in five innings to fall to 0-3 all-time against Los Angeles.

Jeremy Hermida had two of the Marlins' five hits and drove in their only run with an RBI single in the fifth.