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GAME LOG
MIAMI (AP) -- Sweeping the Chicago Cubs was just like old times
for the Florida Marlins.
Pinch-hitter Cliff Floyd homered with one out in the 10th inning
as the Marlins completed their first sweep of the Cubs in three
years with an 8-7 win Sunday.
It was Florida's first three-game sweep of the Cubs since April
1-3, 1997, and improved the Marlins to 38-38, the latest they have
been at .500 since winning the World Series three years ago.
"Now that we're there at .500, I'll admit we were striving for
it," manager John Boles said. "I would have been very angry if we
lost this game."
Floyd made sure of that. He hit the first pitch from Felix
Heredia (3-3) deep to right field for his 14th homer of the year.
"I called my mom after the game because it was her anniversary
and told her the home run was for her," Floyd said. "I had to
because I didn't send her a card. I got bailed out."
And he bailed out the Marlins who had rallied back from a 5-3
deficit to a 7-5 lead only to watch it evaporate on a pair of
errors by shortstop Alex Gonzalez.
"That was the first swing he took all day, he didn't even take
batting practice," Boles said. "He's an awesome guy to have
sitting around with a bat in his hands. The home run is a big
equalizer, we haven't had that around here in a while."
Antonio Alfonseca (3-4) pitched a perfect 10th inning for the
win.
Trailing 7-5, the Cubs tied the game in the eighth. Gonzalez, a
defensive replacement, made a throwing error to allow Brant Brown
to reach first leading off the inning. With one out, Gonzalez
misplayed Sammy Sosa's grounder to put runners on first and second.
Glenallen Hill hit an RBI single and Jose Nieves followed with a
sacrifice fly to tie the score at 7.
"To give up a lead then to come back and tie it up and then to
lose it, I think is a bit more devastating especially when you've
already lost two to a team," said Brown, who homered against his
former team. "You're trying to make amends or patch up what's
happened."
Mark Smith and Derrek Lee hit two-run homers in the seventh for
the Marlins to put Florida up 7-5.
Lee has three homers the past two games after not homering at
home since Aug. 5, 1998. His shot off the upper deck in left field
Ruben Quevedo went 482 feet, the longest ever at Pro Player Stadium
by a Marlin.
It was the fourth longest in the history of the stadium. Andres
Galarraga hit the longest (529 feet) on May 31, 1997.
Nieves also homered for the Cubs, who have lost four straight.
Jeff Huson added a two-run triple in the fifth to give Chicago a
5-3 lead.
The Marlins, who scored four runs in the eighth inning to win
7-4 Saturday, scored three in the first off Quevedo on Lee's bases
loaded walk and Dave Berg's two-run single.
Nieves hit a two-run home run in the second, and Brown, traded
from the Marlins on June 9 in a three-way deal, tied it with a solo
shot in the third.
Quevedo, forced into action because of Ismael Valdez's blister,
allowed seven runs and nine hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Florida's Ryan Dempster gave up five runs and seven hits in
seven innings, while striking out eight.
"We came here and made some mistakes, but we can't give up,"
said Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa, who saw his 11-game hitting streak
come to an end.
Game
notes
Only four of Lee's first 35 career homers came at home. ...
After a crowd of 35,140 came out Saturday, the Marlins drew 16,512
for the series finale. ... The Cubs optioned OF Gary Matthews Jr.
to Triple-A Iowa to make room for Quevedo. ... Valdez, who was
scratched this weekend, will start on Friday for the Cubs. ...
Marlins C Mike Redmond, who sprained a ligament in his right knee
June 17 at Pittsburgh, returned to the starting lineup. He threw
Brown out attempting to steal in the first inning.
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