Marlins turn tough breaks into motivation, win

MIAMI -- The Florida Marlins faced plenty of adversity Saturday night against the Cardinals.

They learned ace A.J. Burnett was heading to the disabled list again. They played in a steady rain that led to an error, a fly ball lost in the lights and a wild pitch. And they managed just two hits in six innings against Jason Simontacchi.

They could have used any of them as excuses to lose. Instead, they used them as motivation to win.

Josh Beckett pitched seven strong innings and Mike Lowell homered to spark a five-run seventh inning to beat the Cardinals 5-3.

"It was a big win on a tough night," Mike Redmond said.

The victory was Florida's seventh come-from-behind win this season and fourth when trailing after six innings. The loss was St. Louis' sixth in seven games. This one came with manager Tony La Russa sitting in a suite.

La Russa served his one-game suspension for a fight between the Cardinals and Arizona last weekend. Third base coach Jose Oquendo took over, but there was little he could about Florida's comeback.

Lowell cut a 2-0 deficit in half when he led off the seventh with his fifth homer.

"We couldn't get a sniff before that," Marlins manager Jeff Torborg said.

After Lowell's homer, Derrek Lee singled and prompted the Cardinals to turn to the bullpen. But pinch-hitters Brian Banks and Redmond also got hits. Lee scored on Redmond's single to even the score at 2.

"We gave the team a little spark," Redmond said. "We never give up. We're going to play nine innings, and the seventh, eighth and ninth innings seem to be our innings."

Juan Pierre, Luis Castillo and Ivan Rodriguez followed with RBI singles up the middle. Pierre and Castillo got hits past drawn-in infields.

Beckett (2-2) gave up two runs on six hits and a walk in seven innings, winning for the first time in four starts.

Albert Pujols walked to start the fourth, moved to third on Jim Edmonds' first of three doubles and scored on a wild pitch -- a sharp breaking ball that hit the wet grass and skidded under Pudge Rodriguez's glove.

Beckett's second run was even tougher to handle. Orlando Palmeiro singled, moved to second on a wild pitch and then scored on Edmonds' fly ball that Hollandsworth lost in the lights.

Beckett ran into another jam in the seventh when he fielded a slippery ball and misfired to first, allowing Mike Matheny to move to third with one out.

But instead of giving up, Beckett got focused. He got Fernando Vina to ground out and Palmeiro to pop up. Torborg said Beckett's tenacity motivated his players to make another comeback.

Steve Kline (0-3) allowed Banks' hit and picked up his second loss in as many outings. He also lost Thursday night at Atlanta.

"I went out and choked again," Kline said. "It's not shaping up as a very good road trip for me. I thought I made a good pitch, but he went down and got it.

"I'm in a rut, and I have to get myself out of it. I'm killing my teammates and letting them down. I'm not going to be here if I don't get people out. I don't belong here now. It has happened two games now, and it's not fun."

Braden Looper recorded four outs for his fourth save.

Notes: Cardinals INF/OF Albert Pujols, still recovering from a sprained right elbow, left the game in the sixth inning. ... RHPs Allen Levrault and Toby Borland joined the Marlins on Saturday. Neither played.