PROKOPEC FAILS DODGERS L.A. RALLY FALLS SHORT AS FLORIDA HOLDS ON FLORIDA 7, DODGERS 6.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

Forget the battle for the fifth spot in the starting rotation. With Andy Ashby still experiencing soreness in his right elbow and a date for his return unknown, Eric Gagne and Luke Prokopec won't be battling for the final spot.

Instead, the young pitchers will be counted on to bolster the rotation.

And with young pitchers, regardless of how good they've been at points in the season, there will be nights like Tuesday. Prokopec suffered through the worst outing of his brief career and an early five-run deficit was too much for the Dodgers to overcome as they lost to Florida 7-6 at Dodger Stadium.

Gary Sheffield's 10th homer of the season, a two-run homer in the eighth inning off reliever Dan Miceli, pulled the Dodgers to within 6-5.

The Marlins added an insurance run on Charles Johnson's ninth-inning single to right. The Dodgers had runners on first and second with one out in the ninth. Florida closer Antonio Alfonseca struck out Mark Grudzielanek for the second out, but Gary Sheffield singled on the 10th pitch of his at-bat to score Jeff Reboulet and pull the Dodgers within 7-6.

However, Shawn Green flied out to the wall in left-center as Alfonseca recorded his sixth save.

Prokopec (3-1) allowed six runs on nine hits in four innings. He walked three, allowed a homer and appeared to become unnerved during a three-run first inning in which he committed a balk. Prokopec was seeking to become the first Dodgers rookie starting pitcher to begin a season 4-0 since Fernando Valenzuela started the 1981 season 8-0.

The first-place Dodgers (18-15) are a half-game ahead of the Giants (17-15) in the National League West.