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Marlins resume set with visiting Dodgers

Apr 26, 2011 - 2:45 PM (Sports Network) - The Florida Marlins have been a hot ballclub the past two weeks and can win their sixth series of the season tonight with a victory over the cash-strapped Los Angeles Dodgers in the middle contest of a three-game set from Sun Life Stadium.

The Marlins squeezed out a 5-4 win over the visiting Dodgers last night, as they plated a pair of runners in the bottom of the ninth inning for the win. Emilio Bonifacio scored on a Jamey Carroll fielding error to even the score and Omar Infante plated Hanley Ramirez, who singled in a pinch-hitting role, with a base hit to win the game.

"That was a great game to win. Two outs nobody on in the ninth ... It was outstanding," Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez said.

Chris Coghlan went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs and reliever Brian Sanchez collected the win with a scoreless top of the ninth inning. Ricky Nolasco started the game and did not factor into the decision, yielding three runs and seven hits with four K's in 6 1/3 innings.

Florida has won six of seven and nine of its last 11 games, and will hand the ball to Chris Volstad Tuesday night. Volstad is 1-1 with a 6.60 earned run average in three starts this season and posted his first win of 2011 in last Thursday's 9-5 triumph versus Pittsburgh. He was fortunate to have the run support after allowing five runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Volstad, a right-hander, is 1-0 in two home starts and will face the Dodgers for the sixth time in his career. He is 2-3 with a 4.91 earned run average over his first five starts against LA.

Los Angeles has made news off the field with its ongoing saga involving cash- strapped owner Frank McCourt. MLB commissioner Bud Selig decided the league would take control of the Dodgers after a report by the Los Angeles Times said McCourt, struggling to make payroll, received a $30 million loan from Fox to cover expenses. It was the second time McCourt took money from Fox to cover expenses since the end of last season. The loan was made personally to him, and not to the Dodgers, the paper reported.

On Monday former Texas Rangers president Tom Schieffer was appointed by Selig as the "Monitor" of the ballclub. Schieffer was an investor in the ownership group headed by George W. Bush and Rusty Rose that purchased the Rangers in 1989. He was the club president from 1991-99 and general partner from November 1994 until June 1998.

The Dodgers entered Monday's game in Florida having won six of eight games, but dropped a 5-4 decision in the bottom of the ninth inning. LA closer Jonathan Broxton was dealt the loss for allowing two unearned runs in the ninth inning, while starter Jon Garland threw seven innings of two-run ball.

Jerry Sands had three hits and an RBI and Jamey Carroll went 2-for-4 and knocked in a run for the Dodgers. Carroll had a costly fielding error in the ninth that allowed the Marlins to even the score.

"I just missed it. I didn't follow it into the glove," Carroll said.

Los Angeles saw outfielder Andre Ethier extend his hitting streak to 22 games with a single in the first inning. Ethier's hitting streak is the longest by a Dodgers player since Nomar Garciaparra's 22-gamer in 2006. He tied Joe Torre for the longest April hitting streak, as the former Dodgers skipper had a 22- game stretch as a member of the Cardinals in 1972. One more hit by Ethier would set a major league record for an April hitting streak at 23 games.

Clayton Kershaw gets the nod for Don Mattingly's squad this evening and he's 2-2 with a 3.00 earned run average in five starts. Kershaw did not record a decision the last time out in a 5-3 win over Atlanta last Thursday, as he gave up three runs and five hits in 8 2/3 innings.

Kershaw, a lefty, hasn't won since April 11 at San Francisco and will face Florida for only the third time in his career. He is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in the previous two starts.

Florida and LA are squaring off for the first time since the Marlins won four of six matchups a season ago.