Dodgers 5 - 4 Marlins
Final/10
  for this game

Red-hot Ethier homers in 10th, Dodgers avoid sweep

Apr 27, 2011 - 10:02 PM Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Red-hot Andre Ethier went 2-for-5 with a solo homer in the 10th inning, as the Los Angeles Dodgers snuck past the Florida Marlins, 5-4, to avoid a three-game sweep.

Ethier extended his MLB-best hitting streak to 24 games for the Dodgers, who went 3-3 on a six-game road trip. The last Dodger to hit safely in 24 straight games was Paul Lo Duca, who had a 25-game streak from May 17-June 18, 2003.

Rod Barajas hit a three-run homer for Los Angeles, which got an RBI from Juan Uribe.

"This road trip was kind of a tough one to stay focused and keep the energy up," Ethier said.

Chad Billingsley went six innings in the start, allowing four runs on five hits. Matt Guerrier (2-1) tossed a scoreless ninth to pick up the win.

Chris Coghlan hit a three-run double for the Marlins, who haven't swept the Dodgers since taking all three matchups from September 6-8 of the 1999 season in Florida.

Anibal Sanchez gave up three runs on four hits over a five-inning start for Florida, which went 7-2 on a nine-game homestand.

"We had our chances, but it didn't happen today," Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez said. "That was a good game to play. They beat us today."

With the score tied at 4-4, Ethier led off the 10th with a homer off Brian Sanches (3-1). The ball sailed over the wall in right for a 5-4 lead.

Vicente Padilla pitched a perfect home 10th for his first save.

The Marlins scored all four of their runs in the second. Three straight one- out singles from Mike Stanton, Greg Dobbs and Emilio Bonifacio loaded the bases. Brett Hayes followed with an RBI single off the wall in left. Two batters later, Coghlan drove in three runs with a double down the left field line.

Los Angeles scored three times in the fourth. Ethier and James Loney singled to put men on the corners with two outs. Barajas then cleared the bases with a blast over the wall in left.

The Dodgers tacked on a run in the seventh to make it a 4-4 game. Aaron Miles singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, advanced to third on Ryan Webb's balk and crossed the plate on pinch-hitter Uribe's double to left.

Florida had a great chance to win the game in the ninth, putting runners on second and third with one out. But Guerrier struck out Scott Cousins and got John Buck to ground out.

Game Notes

Dobbs and Bonifacio each had two hits for Florida, which went 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position...The Dodgers went 2-for-10 with RISP.






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