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SportsTicker 18y

Billingsley brilliant as Dodgers continue to roll

LOS ANGELES -- Miguel Cabrera's breakout signaled the
end of the Los Angeles Dodgers' best run in more than 100 years.

Cabrera hit two homers and drove in five runs as the Florida
Marlins routed the Dodgers, 15-4, to avoid a sweep of a
three-game series.

Cody Ross ripped a three-run double in the first inning and
finished with four RBIs as the Marlins. The onslaught also
halted a six-game winning streak for the Dodgers, who had won 17
of their previous 18 games for their best run since 1899.

Florida, which was swept at home earlier in the month, had lost
all five previous contests with Los Angeles before closing up a
road trip at 5-4.

"They're a very good team and they're very hot," Marlins manager
Joe Girardi said. "We didn't play our best baseball against
them at our place. I thought we played better here, but we
still only won one game."

"We've been there in games like this and it's going to happen,"
Dodgers manager Grady Little said. "We'll put it behind us and
go forward."

Hitless in his previous eight at-bats in the series, Cabrera
went 3-for-5 with a two-run shot in the fourth inning and a
three-run blast in the sixth for his 20th homer and first
multi-homer game of the season.

"He's such a big part of our offense," Girardi said. "Once
again, he was in the middle of everything."

The 23-year-old Cabrera, who had knocked in just one run while
batting .105 (2-for-19) in the five previous games against the
Dodgers, also tied a season high in RBIs.

"Their pitchers have good stuff," Cabrera said. "Finally we won
a big game."

Wes Helms hit a two-run homer and Reggie Abercrombie plated two
runs for the Marlins, who scored more than 10 runs for the first
time since a 15-2 win at Philadelphia on July 31.

Josh Johnson (11-6), the beneficiary of the rout against the
Phillies, once again took advantage of great support to win for
the third time in four starts. The righthander allowed four
runs and six hits in six innings.

"I've just got to go out and do my job," Johnson said. "I've
got to pitch my game, and I got out of that a little, but I
battled and stuck with it the whole time."

A lack of solid pitching helped doom the Dodgers (64-57), who
are still three games ahead of Arizona in the National League
West. Mark Hendrickson (1-5) was reached for four runs in the
opening frame and failed to make it past the third, finishing
with five runs and five hits allowed in 2 1/3 innings.

"The fact that I walked the bases loaded (in the first inning)
really hurt," Hendrickson said. "After that, I was playing
catch-up and I really couldn't get back."

Despite the big win, the Marlins did have a scary moment in the
fourth when All-Star second baseman Dan Uggla collided with Ross
in right field trying to chase down a bloop hit by Toby Hall.
Uggla was all right, but Ross had to be helped off the field and
is listed as day-to-day with a right knee contusion.

Despite the injury, Ross was in the best of spirits afterward as
he put together a great game against a team that designated him
for assignment and later traded him to Cincinnati in April.

"They sent me out," he said. "They didn't need me. To do well
against them makes me feel good.

"I was glad to help the team out finally. I've been struggling
lately, so to get a few RBIs and help the team win was big."

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