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LOS ANGELES -- Scott Kazmir is running short on time to prove he belongs on the Dodgers postseason roster. Fresh off the disabled list, the veteran pitcher was dealt another blow when spasms cut short his start.Ross Stripling picked up the slack with three scoreless innings of relief, Joc Pederson and pinch-hitter Andre Ethier hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning and the Dodgers defeated the Colorado Rockies 5-2 on Friday night after an emotional pre-game ceremony honoring Vin Scully.Their third straight victory trimmed the Dodgers magic number for clinching a record fourth consecutive NL West title to two. Their division lead increased to seven games after San Francisco lost at San Diego 7-2.Kazmir allowed two hits while tossing just 19 pitches in his first start for the Dodgers since Aug. 22. He left after one inning because of right spasms in his ribs and chest. The left-hander spent the past month on the disabled list with neck inflammation.It was tough for me to swallow, he said. Its frustrating.Kazmir said the pain on his front side was similar to what he felt during a brief stint at Triple-A Oklahoma City.You cant stay strong, he said. I had to not throw as hard.Dodgers manager Dave Roberts removed Kazmir to avoid the risk of further injury.I feel bad for Kaz, Roberts said. Hes gone through a lot and had high expectations for tonight, and the body wasnt responding.Pederson worked the count to 3-2 during a nine-pitch at-bat before homering off Jon Gray (10-9) with two outs. Ethier followed with his first homer of the season into the lower right-field seats, extending the Dodgers lead to 4-0.Yasmani Grandals RBI single gave Los Angeles a 2-0 lead in the first. Corey Seager scored from third and Colorado catcher Tom Murphy had his back to the plate as he fielded the throw from right field, allowing Justin Turner to score from second.Stripling (5-8) allowed two hits in three innings, struck out four and walked two.Its long relief, so its kind of like a start, Stripling said. I can still pitch the way Im used to.Kenley Jansen retired the side with two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth for his 47th save in 53 chances.Gray gave up four runs and three hits in four innings. The right-hander struck out 10 and walked three on 106 pitches. Gray was coming off a franchise-record 16 strikeouts in a complete-game 8-0 win over San Diego last weekend. His combined 26 strikeouts are the most in a two-game span in Colorado franchise history.I knew from the beginning it would be a tough day with no fastball command, Gray said. Fastball command is number one when it comes to pitching. Without that it is incredibly tough to succeed.Colorado scored its runs in the sixth on Nolan Arenados 40th homer leading off and Tom Murphys RBI single.The Dodgers honored Scully on his appreciation night with fellow left-handers Sandy Koufax and Clayton Kershaw among those paying tribute to the 88-year-old Hall of Fame broadcaster who is retiring when the regular season ends next weekend.I should be on my knees to pray in thanksgiving for all the wonderful things that have happened to me, said Scully, showered with the same roar of the crowd that first enticed him while listening to college football games on the familys four-legged radio as an 8-year-old in the Bronx.Ive loved this game for 80 years, he said.TITLE BELTThe Dodgers player of the game belt went to Stripling. The large decorated blue belt resembles one given to a prize fighter. That thing weighs like 10 pounds, Stripling said. Technically, it goes to the whole bullpen but they let me keep it in my locker.WORKING `PENThe eight innings of relief set a single-season Dodgers record for most bullpen innings pitched with 559.0. The old mark of 553.0 was set in 2009.SINGING SCULLYScully did a bit of lip-synching while his pre-recorded version of Take Me Out to the Ballgame played in the seventh inning. He had his arm around wife Sandi and a banner reading Ill Miss You! was unrolled from his booth while the sellout crowd of 52,320 cheered him as they had all night.QUOTE OF THE NIGHTAs many times as Ive been on this field, Ive never been this nervous. -- 80-year-old Koufax said before addressing the crowd.WHAT A CATCHJosh Reddick charged a ball hit by Colorados DJ LeMahieu to right field, catching it on the run and completing a cartwheel to hold the runner at third base with two outs in the third. LeMahieus 38-game on-base streak and 13-game hitting streak ended as he went 0 for 4.UP NEXTRockies: RHP Chad Bettis (13-7, 4.79) has career highs in victories, starts (30) and innings pitched (174 2/3). He is 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in seven career games, including four starts, against Los Angeles.Dodgers: Kershaw (11-3, 1.73) is 7-1 with a 1.19 ERA in nine home starts. Daniel Ponce de Leon . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. Stan Musial .35 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. Plouffe batted .254 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 477 at-bats last season, his second as a regular in the lineup. http://www.custommlbcardinalsjersey.com/custom-red-schoendienst-jersey-large-501q.html . Spiller left Week 3s 27-20 loss to the New York Jets with a thigh injury, but fully practiced with the team all week and expects to be ready to go on Sunday. Rangel Ravelo .Y. -- Leading 3-0 with only 11:25 left, the Colorado Avalanche committed a seemingly meaningless penalty to give the New York Islanders a power play. Vince Coleman . But what about the officials? Every sport has officials and they also have stories about hard work and sacrifice but their accomplishments are seldom recognized by anyone outside their inner circle. Numerous defenders are struggling to stop Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley this season and no team experienced more difficulties than the Charlotte Hornets.A week ago Conley scored a season-high 31 points and Memphis claimed 15-point win in Charlotte.Now comes the rematch when the Hornets visit the Grizzlies on Monday night.Conley is averaging a career-high 19.5 points to go along with 5.8 assists. He is shooting 43.5 percent and making a career-best 47.6 percent of his 3-pointers.Conley has three 30-point games this season through his first 16 games. He had never more than two 30-point games in a season and last week in Charlotte, Conley hit five 3-pointers and shot 11 of 21 from the field.The big night by Conley occurred as the Grizzlies opened a 12-point lead early in the first quarter, led by 24 at halftime and shot 58 percent.What can I say about Mike Conley? Memphis coach David Fizdale said last week. Hes getting closer and closer to the guy I want him to be -- the killer, the killer that I want him to be. Im really proud of his openness to it and that he is trying to adapt to what I want him to be.Conleys performance is part of a 7-1 run for the Grizzlies, who started it two weeks ago in Utah. In the last eight games, Conley is averaging 20.2 points and delivered another strong showing in Saturdays 110-107 win at Miami.Conley had 21 points while Marc Gasol led the Grizzlies with 28. The duo took turns taking over as Gasol scored 26 in the first three quarters and Conley scored the final 11 points.We play off each other; we know how to play together, Gasol said of Conley. I know where he likes to get the ball and we are patient. Were unselfish. Were going to make a basketball play every time.For Charlotte, last weeks loss to Memphis was the second of four straight defeats. The Hornets dropped to .500 with a five-point loss to San Antonio Wednesday and a two-point overtime setback at New York Friday.ddddddddddddCharlotte rebounded with a 107-102 win over New York on Friday in a game that might have resembled a 2010-11 Connecticut Huskies game with Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb starting in the backcourt for the first time as NBA players.Walker scored 28 while Lamb added 18 and a career-high 17 rebounds. The performance was impressive since Lamb had only played six minutes since returning from a 10-game absence with a strained left hamstring.That was a great win for us, Lamb said. Everybody fought. We were short-handed and everybody just fought and leaned on each other, and it was just a huge, huge win for us.Lamb filled in for Nicolas Batum, who did not play due to a corneal abrasion Friday. In 36 minutes, Lamb shot 8 of 15 and his showing even surprised coach Steve Clifford.Its surprising, because he literally hasnt been able to do any kind of contact for, Id say, close to a month, three-and-a-half, four weeks, Clifford said. But his game is based on skill. Hes a skill-based player and you saw that tonight.Besides the showing of its starting backcourt, Charlottes defense also improved. The Hornets allowed 114.5 points and 47.1 percent shooting during their slide but held the Knicks to 37.8 percent shooting as Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was part of a defensive effort that held New York star Carmelo Anthony to 7-of-25 shooting.Batum is expected to return Monday but the Hornets will be without Marvin Williams, who will be out for a week with a knee injury. Charlotte may also be without Marco Belinelli, who strained his hamstring Saturday.Memphis may be without Zach Randolph. Randolph missed the last two games after his mother passed away on Thursday. ' ' '