• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Marlins-Dodgers Preview

Jul 5, 2010 - 2:49 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Florida (37-43) at Los Angeles (44-36), 9:10 p.m. EDT

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Florida Marlins both feature productive infielders who were snubbed for the All-Star game.

Rafael Furcal and the Dodgers take on Dan Uggla and the Marlins on Monday night in the opener of a three-game set at Dodger Stadium.

Furcal is 19 for 33 with 13 runs scored during an eight-game hitting streak, raising his average from .294 to .333. The shortstop has recovered nicely from a hamstring pull that caused him to miss a month, but was not chosen for the NL squad.

"It's OK," Furcal told the Dodgers' official website. "They pick the right people and nothing I can do with that. I just keep doing the way I'm playing right now and help the team win."

Furcal went 5 for 14 as the Dodgers (45-36) lost two of three to Florida (38-43) from April 9-11.

Uggla was also left off Charlie Manuel's team in favor of Atlanta infielder Omar Infante, who has a higher average but worse power numbers. The Marlins second baseman has 16 homers to lead all NL middle infielders and 49 RBIs.

Florida manager Edwin Rodriguez said Uggla "deserved to be on the team, but Prado has had a great year and deserves it, too."

Uggla is 9 for 22 with eight RBIs in his last five games. He homered and drove in all three runs in Sunday's 3-2 win at Atlanta.

"All the guys who made the team deserved it," Uggla said. "I'm just going to enjoy my four days off."

Uggla hasn't fared well in his career at Dodger Stadium, hitting .196 with one homer and 14 strikeouts in 51 at-bats.

This series marks a homecoming for struggling Florida rookie Mike Stanton, who is expected to return to the lineup after getting a day off Sunday. The Los Angeles native is hitting .207 through his first 21 games.

The Dodgers are back home after capping a 5-1 trip with a 3-1 victory at Arizona on Sunday. Matt Kemp continued his resurgence with a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning.

Manager Joe Torre benched the slumping Kemp for three games before putting him back in the lineup when Manny Ramirez was injured in San Francisco on Tuesday night. Since then, Kemp is 9 for 22 with three home runs and seven RBIs.

"He just looks a little quieter at the plate," Torre said. "He doesn't look as jumpy. He doesn't look so anxious at the plate."

Florida ended a three-game slide with Sunday's victory, and has won eight of 11 games at Dodger Stadium.

Marlins starter Nate Robertson (5-6, 4.97 ERA) is 0-3 with a 7.71 ERA in his last four road outings. He did not get a decision Tuesday against the New York Mets after allowing four runs in six innings in a 7-6 home victory.

The left-hander is 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA in two career starts against the Dodgers.

Los Angeles will counter with rookie John Ely (4-5, 3.62), who makes his first start against the Marlins. The right-hander ended a three-start losing streak Tuesday when he yielded one run over seven innings in a 4-2 win over the Giants.