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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A day off did wonders for Los Angeles shortstop Alex Cora.
Cora went 3-for-3 to end an 0-for-18 slump, and started a double
play in the eighth inning to keep the tying run from scoring as the
Dodgers beat the Florida Marlins 4-3 on Thursday night.
|  | | Florida pitcher Matt Clement hits the ground after getting hit in the leg by a line drive by Los Angeles' Alex Cora.
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"I've played a lot of games in a row, so I guess it helps,"
said Cora, who raised his average from .176 to .202 with his first
three-hit game of the season. "When you get into a slump early in
the season, the numbers look horrible because you have less
at-bats, compared to 300 at-bats later in the year."
Cora, who finished fourth in fielding last season among National League shortstops who had at least 400 total chances, handled eight of
nine grounders flawlessly. His only mistake came on Mike Lowell's
two-out grounder in the fifth, which the Marlins converted into a
run on Charles Johnson's single.
"I do a good job dividing the game, offensively and
defensively," said Cora, who already has committed nine errors.
"I don't take my hitting out there when I play defense and I don't
take my fielding to the batter's box, because I'm not that kind of
player. But after the game, I'll be more upset about making an
error than going 0-for-4 because I know what I'm supposed to do
here."
Eric Karros got Thursday night off, and was asked if he would
return Friday night against Atlanta with the same success Cora
displayed.
"I don't know about that," Karros said with a grin. "I think
you have to be hitting under .200 to have it work for you, so I
don't know if it's going to work for me."
Shawn Green hit a three-run homer to help support Darren
Dreifort (2-2), who allowed three runs -- two earned -- and seven
hits in six innings in the Dodgers' major league-leading 18th
one-run game.
Jeff Shaw pitched a perfect ninth for his NL-leading 12th save after two scoreless innings by Terry Adams.
The Dodgers have played five consecutive one-run games, including
all four in this series. They are 3-2 in those games, following a
20-1 loss last Saturday at Chicago -- the most lopsided defeat by the
club since moving from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958.
Dreifort, who allowed the first four runs of the 20-1 debacle in
his previous outing, evened his career record at Dodger Stadium to
21-21 with his first home victory of the season.
The Marlins, whose 10 one-run defeats are the most in the
majors, put runners at first and third in the eighth with one-out
singles by Derrek Lee and Alex Gonzalez. But Kevin Millar,
pinch-hitting for starting pitcher Matt Clement, grounded to short
and Cora started the inning-ending double play.
"It was good for Alex to get a breather, get right back out
there and really contribute -- just from a confidence standpoint,"
Karros said. "I know how it is when you're a young player trying
to prove that you belong -- not only to other people, but also to
yourself."
After the Marlins opened the scoring on Lee's run-scoring
groundout in the second, the Dodgers got four runs with two outs in
the third.
Mark Grudzielanek tied it with a run-scoring double, after Tom Goodwin grounded into a force play and stole second. Clement (1-3) hit Gary
Sheffield with a pitch and Green followed with his seventh homer.
"I thought I threw the ball great. I made just one bad pitch.
But overall, that's the way I've got to pitch," Clement said. "To
a good hitter like that, you make a mistake and he's going to do
his job with it."
Clement pitched seven innings and was charged with four runs on
eight hits -- including a vicious line drive by Cora in the fourth
that struck the right-hander on his left shin and ricocheted into
right field for a double.
The Marlins narrowed the gap to 4-3 in the fifth when Cliff
Floyd singled, Cora misplayed Lowell's two-out grounder and Johnson
hit a run-scoring single.
Game notes
The Dodgers are 9-9 in one-run games this season. ...
Dreifort gave up 16 unearned runs last season, the most on the
Dodgers' staff. ... Cora, back in the Dodgers lineup after a day
off, singled in his first at-bat. But he was thrown out at third by
catcher Johnson when he tried to advance two bases on a bunt in
front of the plate by Dreifort. ... Cora also singled in the
seventh and was doubled off first on Jeff Reboulet's hit-and-run
liner to third -- the Marlins' major league-leading 47th double
play. ... Eric Owens, who left the game Wednesday night with a jammed
right shoulder after being tagged out in a violent home plate
collision with Chad Kreuter, was back in the lineup.
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Detroit 6
Texas 5
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Kansas City 8
Cleveland 3
Minnesota 5
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