Catcher Kenji Johjima is back, but the Mariners lineup won't have Ken Griffey Jr. or Mike Sweeney in it tonight.

It's Jason Vargas vs. Clayton Kershaw, and runs may not be free flowing. The Dodgers, like the Mariners, are a bit power impaired with Manny Ramirez out - no one has more homers in their lineup than outfielder Andre Ethier (11).

What they do have is consistent production: five players with 40-or-more RBI. The Mariners have one.

Adrian Beltre talked with doctors before the game about the bone chips in his left shoulder, and repeated what he's been told - only a surgery will correct the pain he's in.

"It's up to me," he said, "and it's up to how long I can put up with the pain."

Maybe Vargas, a pretty good college hitter, can help himself tonight.

We're off.

Old flames

Just before the first pitch, the Dodgers introduced a 100-year-old woman, who stepped to the microphone and said: "Let's play Dodgers baseball!"

In the press box, veteran writer Jim Street took a closer look and cried out: "I dated her!"

That's a threat

Vargas left a pitch chest-high and Casey Blake banged it off the wall in right field for a double, then James Loney dropped a soft line drive single into center to put runners at first and third base with no one out.

Russell Martin flied out, too shallow for Blake to score - and Vargas had the chance to get out of the inning with a double play.

Instead, Ethier added to his team-leading home run total with a three-run shot to right center field.

Ouch.

In the second: Dodgers 3, Mariners 0

Starting small

Ichiro picked up Seattle's first hit leading off the fourth inning and, right behind him, Russell Branyan dropped a broken-bat single into right field.

One out later, Jose Lopez singled up the middle for his 43rd RBI, and the Mariners were on the board.

Franklin Gutierrez worked Kershaw for a 3-2 walk, loading the bases for Johjima, who grounded into a double play.

In the fourth: Dodgers 3, Mariners 1

Long ball again

Vargas centered another pitch to Blake, and tis time the third baseman hit it even further - making it his 11th home run.

Hard to catch up when the team you're chasing adds a run right after you do.

After four: Dodgers 4, Mariners 1

Coming unglued

Matt Kemp lined a hit into left field that the Mariners misplayed twice. Wladimir Balentien dove and missed the ball, and when Gutierrez threw to shortstop Ronny Cedeno, Cedeno was slow to turn toward the infield - so Kemp ran his way into a triple.

Pitcher Kershaw singled him home.

The Dodgers are a first-place team playing well. Tonight, the Mariners are playing like a team not quite ready for prime time.

After five: Dodgers 5, Mariners 1

A small rally - again

Ichiro's infield single and two-out stolen base set up Lopez, who delivered a single for RBI No. 44.

Same combo worked in the fourth inning, now the sixth. The Mariners need a bit more.

In the sixth: Dodgers 5, Mariners 2

That might do it

Three innings left, but this feels about as gone as Ethier's second home run, a two-run bolt against Corcoran that put Los Angeles up by five.

If it's any consolation, Ethier hads five multi-homer games this season.

After six: Dodgers 7, Mariners 2

That does it

Andre Ethier had three home runs, six RBI.

The Mariners had six hits, two RBI.

Does not compute. Is it too late to rent that Corvette?

The final: Dodgers 8, Mariners 2

No wonder Randy Newman loves this place - no matter what happens in the rest of the world, L.A. remains an island unto itself.

Recession?

At the rental car counter, where the News Tribune in its wisdom had reserved a Saturn vehicle, the clerk tried to pitch mne a yellow Corvette convertile.

"We can put you in that for $75 a day more," he said.

"No, you can't," I said.

No doubt it would have improved my image had anyone I know actually seen me driving that bright yellow beast. But in the current economy, who is paying just over $125 a day to do so?

In Los Angeles, apparently, plenty of folk - the rental car company had a row of more than 25 of them at the reaady.
Oh, there was one other thing - the 'vette had no trunk space.

Bummer.