Revamped Dodgers can't handle Marlins

Associated Press Sports

updated 7:15 p.m. ET Aug. 26, 2012

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Rob Brantly gave Miami the lead for good with his first major league home run, and the Marlins also got long balls from Giancarlo Stanton, Jose Reyes and Carlos Lee to beat the revamped Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 on Sunday in the finale of an 11-game road trip.

Mark Buehrle (12-11) won his third straight start, allowing a run and six hits in 5 2-3 innings with four strikeouts and three walks. He escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fifth by retiring Hanley Ramirez on a popup and Andre Ethier on a grounder with the Marlins holding a 3-1 lead.

Ethier singled home a run in the seventh, but was called out for interference moments later after making incidental contact with Lee at first base on a popup by Luis Cruz that was dropped by catcher Brantly just inside the first base line. Cruz, sent back to the plate on the dead ball following a lengthy discussion among the umpires, flied out to end the inning.

The Marlins made it 4-2 in the eighth when Ramirez misplayed Bryan Petersen's two-out grounder to shortstop with the bases loaded for an error. Steve Cishek retired new Dodgers slugger Adrian Gonzalez with the bases loaded to end the eighth, then pitched a hitless ninth to nail down his 11th save in 14 chances after Reyes and Lee homered back-to-back against rookie Shawn Tolleson in the top of the inning.

Dodgers right-hander Aaron Harang (9-8) allowed three runs and six hits in 5 1-3 innings. He struck out four.

Stanton, who made Dodger Stadium his personal launching pad this weekend during his third trip to Chavez Ravine in three seasons with the Marlins, homered for the third time in as many games when he drove a first-pitch fastball to center with two outs in the fourth to tie the score 1-all.

Stanton had eight home runs during the Marlins' 5-6 trip, raising his season total to 29. The previous club record during a road trip was six, by Miguel Cabrera (10 games), Mike Lowell (12 games) and Preston Wilson (13 games).

Brantly, playing in his seventh big league game following his promotion from Triple-A New Orleans on Aug. 13, put the Marlins ahead to stay in the fifth with another first-pitch homer, this one into the pavilion seats following a leadoff single by Donovan Solano. It was the 14th allowed by Harang, who gave up an average of 24.9 home runs over the previous eight seasons - including 35 in 2008 with Cincinnati.

Less than 24 hours after watching teammate Josh Johnson throw 45 pitches in the first inning of an 8-2 loss, Buehrle used up 31 of his 111 pitches to get out of the opening frame. The fast-working left-hander struck out three batters in the inning, but also gave up an RBI single by Gonzalez, who hit a three-run homer in his first plate appearance with the Dodgers following Saturday's nine-player trade with Boston.

Ethier was called out on strikes by Tony Randazzo in the first, after hitting safely in each of his previous 10 plate appearances, and ended up tied with Ed Konetchy for the franchise record for consecutive at-bats with a hit. Konetchy did it with the 1919 Brooklyn Robins, who didn't change their name to "Dodgers" until 1932.

NOTES: Ethier was in an 0-for-18 drought before starting his string of hits. Only one player since 1952 has had hits in 11 consecutive at-bats - Bernie Williams in 2002 with the Yankees. The major league record is 12, by Johnny Kling (1902 Cubs), Pinky Higgins (1938 Red Sox) and Walt Dropo (1952 Tigers). ... Brantly hit 11 home runs in 980 at-bats during his 262-game minor league career. The Marlins obtained him in a trade with Detroit on July 23. ... Ramirez, acquired by the Dodgers in a trade with the Marlins on July 25 for RHP Nathan Eovaldi, was 1 for 12 with six strikeouts in the series. The only hit was a two-run homer off Eovaldi on Friday night in an 11-4 Dodgers victory. ... The Dodgers announced before the game that Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully will be back behind the microphone next season, his 64th with the club. ... Nick Punto, who also came over in the trade with the Red Sox, made his first start for the Dodgers at 2B and walked his first two times up after drawing a walk as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning Saturday.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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