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  Friday, May 12 8:10pm ET
Driefort puts brakes on Cardinal offense
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Darryl Kile had his first bad game outside of Coors Field.

Shawn Green
Shawn Green had four RBI, including a three-run double in the first.
Shawn Green had a three-run double and Todd Hundley hit a two-run home run in a five-run first inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers snapped a four-game losing streak with an 13-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night.

"I went out there and pretty much had my lunch handed to me," Kile said. "I pretty much opened the floodgates early and they kept coming. Who knows what happens if I go out there and throw a zero up in the first inning and give us a chance right away?"

Darren Dreifort (3-1) allowed two hits, struck out six and walked three in his third career complete game, all shutouts, as the Dodgers ended a seven-game road losing streak. This is the fewest hits he's allowed and he kept the ball down, allowing only three fly-ball outs.

He credited it to the fast offensive start and a play by catcher Todd Hundley, who threw out Fernando Vina attempting to steal after Vina drew a leadoff walk in the first. Hundley threw out only one of the first 19 basestealers.

"We jump out to a five-run lead off Kile, who's an awesome pitcher, and we just kept putting it on them," Dreifort said. "I walk Vina on four pitches to start the game and Hot Rod throws him out. That just gives you another boost."

The Cardinals, the NL Central leaders, lost for the seventh time in 10 games in May.

Green, 9-for-20 in his last five, also had an RBI double in the second. Eric Karros hit his ninth homer in the fifth.

Both of Kile's losses have been ugly. He gave up eight earned runs in 1 2-3 innings at Coors Field on April 13. Against the Dodgers, Kile (6-2) lasted 5 2-3 innings and allowed eight runs on seven hits as his ERA soared to 5.51.

In his other six outings, Kile has a 3.51 ERA.

"The Dodgers swung the bats like they knew what was coming," pitching coach Dave Duncan said. "Even if you get balls in the middle of the plate, the timing is going to be off some of the time. It wasn't tonight."

Kile didn't think he was tipping his pitches.

"A lot of times you throw pitches over the heart of the plate and they're going to be right on them, no matter what it is," Kile said. "That's why they're at this level."

Gary Sheffield, who singled in the five-run first, said Kile didn't have his best weapon.

"Anytime he's not getting his curveball over and freezing and backing guys away, he seems to struggle," Sheffield said. "He still had his good fastball, but if he can't get his breaking ball over, you can just sit on the pitch and you'll get it."

Kile wasn't helped in the first when left-fielder Ray Lankford, suffering from blurred vision, was tentative going after two catchable fly balls that dropped for hits. One of them was Green's three-run double to left center.

Lankford was replaced in the bottom of the first by Eric Davis, whose two-out double was the Cardinals' only hit through the first five innings. Manager Tony La Russa said Lankford's eyes were dilated from a vision test on Thursday.

"When he got out in the bright lights, he was having trouble focusing," La Russa said.

The Cardinals didn't get another hit until Vina singled with one out in the sixth, and the Dodgers turned three double plays.

Reliever Darren Holmes also had a tough night, allowing an RBI single to Todd Hollandsworth in the sixth and a two-run double by Mark Grudzielanek in a three-run eighth.

Alex Cora's two-run single in the ninth, his third hit, made it 13-0.

Game notes
Dreifort's last shutout came against Florida on Aug. 18, 1999. ... Illinois football coach Ron Turner threw out the first pitch and it sailed far over the head of the Cardinals' Larry Sutton. ... Before Friday, the Cardinals had outscored their opponents 48-18 in the first inning. ... The Dodgers started the season 9-3 on the road. ... Hundley has homered in five of his last six starts. ... The Cardinals have dropped two of three each of the last three series. ... The Dodgers were outscored 42-23 during their four-game losing streak.

 


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