Cards get a rare feat, not a win

MIAMI -- A.J. Burnett was throwing 99 mph in the first and ninth innings, making it a tough night for the Cardinals.

Burnett pitched a four-hitter for his major league-leading fourth shutout as the Florida Marlins beat the Cardinals 4-0 Thursday night.

Burnett (11-7) struck out seven, walked three and won his third consecutive start. He also tied his career high for wins in a season, set last year.

"I'm a bad dude," said Burnett, a confident, 25-year-old right-hander who has become the staff ace. "I come right after guys. I'm a bulldog out there."

The Marlins beat Cardinals for the second consecutive game and finished 4-2 against them this season. St. Louis' lone highlight was a triple play in the sixth inning -- the team's first triple play in more than nine years.

Florida also handed left-hander Chuck Finley his first loss since being traded from Cleveland to St. Louis on July 19.

"Some nights you just match up against guys, and right out of the shoot, they're dealing," Finley said. "I just made a few bad pitches here and there, and obviously tonight, it was enough to beat us."

Finley (2-1) won his first two starts. He pitched well again Thursday, giving up six hits and two earned runs in seven innings, but Burnett was better.

He leads the NL with five complete games, and has given up four or fewer runs in nine of his last 10 starts.

"You just have to sit back become a fan because he's fun to watch," Florida's Derrek Lee said. "He's something special. They didn't have much of a chance against him in the ninth inning. He takes it up another notch. He smells that shutout. He's almost unhittable then."

With one out in the ninth, Burnett struck out Eli Marrero with a 98 mph fastball. Then he threw three consecutive fastballs to Jim Edmonds that registered 97, 98 and 99 on the radar gun.

"If you're throwing that hard and throwing the ball over the plate, you're keeping everybody off balance," Cardinals second baseman Fernando Vina said.

Burnett has 163 strikeouts, third in the NL behind Arizona's Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson. Teamed with rising stars Josh Beckett and Brad Penny, Burnett gives the Marlins hope for having one of the best core of starters in the league.

"They've got guys that throw a billion over here," Cardinals outfielder J.D. Drew said. "But that's probably the best I've seen him. He's usually effectively wild."

Florida built Burnett a lead with runs in the second, third and fifth innings. Mike Redmond doubled in the second and Mike Mordecai followed with an RBI single.

The Marlins made it 2-0 in the third without a hit. Luis Castillo reached on shortstop Edgar Renteria's fielding error, stole second and moved to third on catcher Mike Matheny's errant throw. He scored Preston Wilson's sacrifice fly.

Mordecai walked to start the fifth, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Castillo's fifth triple of the season.

Florida made it 4-0 in the eighth with consecutive singles from Lowell, Lee and Owens.

In the sixth, the Cardinals turned the fourth triple play this season in the major leagues. The last one also involved the Marlins, who turned the first triple play in club history Sunday against the Montreal Expos.

With Mike Lowell running from first and Lee on the move from second, Eric Owens lined to right. Drew caught the ball on the run and threw to Renteria at second to double up Lowell. Renteria then turned and finished the triple play with a relay to first that easily beat Lee, who said he thought there was one out.

"I should have gotten back to first," Lee said. "When (Drew) threw it to second to get Mike, I thought that was it. I knew I messed up."