Los Angeles 4, Florida 2

VERO BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Several unheralded newcomers played key

roles for the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 4-2 victory over the Florida

Marlins on Wednesday in their exhibition opener.

Scott Erickson pitched two scoreless innings, Buddy Carlyle

added three more and Ricky Ledee hit a two-run homer off A.J.

Burnett.

High-priced free agents J.D. Drew, Jeff Kent and Derek Lowe took

the day off.

Erickson, a winner of 142 games who signed a minor league

contract in the offseason, allowed one hit and one walk, and got

all six of his outs on ground balls.

"That's what I've got to do," Erickson said. "I don't throw

it hard enough to get it by people. I was throwing behind in the

first inning. I made an adjustment in the second inning and threw

three first-pitch strikes."

The 37-year-old Erickson, who didn't pitch in 2001 or 2003

because of injuries and appeared in only six big-league games last

year, is a candidate for the No. 5 spot in the Dodgers' rotation.

"I feel great," he said. "In my mind, I'm on the team. If I

get beat out, I get beat out. You can't make the team today. You

won't get cut, either."

Carlyle, a bullpen candidate who signed as a minor league free

agent, allowed one hit with no walks and one strikeout to earn the

victory. Aquilino Lopez, another minor league free agent, worked a

perfect ninth, striking out two, to get the save.

"All three looked terrific," Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said.

"Scotty did a nice job. You could tell he threw several pitches

that had nice movement."

Miguel Cabrera hit a two-run homer off Joel Hanrahan in the

third to give the Marlins a 2-0 lead. Ledee tied the game in the

bottom of the inning by hitting a 3-1 pitch over the right field

fence after Burnett hit Jayson Werth in the left wrist with a

pitch.

Werth said later he thought his wrist was broken at first, but

X-rays were negative. He'll probably sit out a couple of games.

Jason Repko hit an RBI double and Delwyn Young added a sacrifice

fly off loser Justin Wayne in the fifth to complete the scoring.

Burnett allowed two runs and two hits in three innings with two

walks and four strikeouts.

"My stuff was good," he said. "I was a little nervous in the

first inning, but after that it was fun. It was good to get the

butterflies again and get in a game situation."

He grooved a fastball to Ledee, who knew it was gone the second

he hit it.

"I've had some success against him in the past," said Ledee,

who figures to be the Dodgers' fourth outfielder.

Catcher Paul Lo Duca, traded by Los Angeles to Florida last

July, marked his return to Dodgertown by going 1-for-3 with an

infield single.

"It was fun to be here," he said. "I saw some guys I had some

great friendships with."

Guillermo Mota, who was also part of that trade, pitched a

scoreless fourth for the Marlins.