JoeMcClenahan
04-24-2002, 01:00 AM
MIAMI (AP) -- The Florida Marlins have been looking for better production from the top of the order. They got it for the second consecutive game Tuesday night, and have two victories to show for it.
Alex Gonzalez's one-out, broken-bat single in the 12th inning scored Luis Castillo and gave the Marlins a 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros.
"Those guys have made things happen the last two nights," manager Jeff Torborg said.
Castillo tripled off Brandon Puffer (0-1) with one out, driving the ball over center fielder Lance Berkman's head. Castillo's 23rd career triple moved him past Mark Kotsay and into sole possession of the club record.
"As soon as he hit it I took off running," Berkman said. "At first, I thought I had a bead on it because I didn't think it was going to carry as well as it did, and it kept going and kept going. I got to it; I just didn't get high enough to catch it."
Gonzalez followed with his game-winning hit, a blooper that barely got out of the infield.
"I just wanted to put the ball in play," Gonzalez said. "I just tried to make contact."
Vladimir Nunez (3-0) allowed two hits in three scoreless innings.
Castillo, the team's leadoff hitter, finished with three hits and has six in two games. Gonzalez was 2-for-5 with an RBI for the second consecutive game since moving into the No. 2 spot.
The Marlins trailed 3-0, but evened the score on Gonzalez's leadoff home run in the eighth, his second homer this season.
"I feel comfortable (hitting second)," Gonzalez said. "I see more fastballs. I've got to keep doing my job."
Florida had a chance to win in the 11th after Derrek Lee doubled and moved to third with one out. But Mike Redmond bunted into an inning-ending double play on a suicide squeeze. Redmond popped up to first baseman Jeff Bagwell, who threw to third to get Lee.
Marlins starter Josh Beckett had his finest major league outing, finishing with career-highs in pitches (120), strikeouts (11) and innings (seven). He gave up three hits and three walks but got his third no-decision in four starts.
"I kept us in the game," said Beckett, still dealing with a small blister on the tip of his right middle finger. "I tried to throw too hard; I overthrew it, but I feel fine. ... I'm happy, but I wanted to get my first win."
The only thing keeping him from his first victory probably was an error.
The 21-year-old Texan was cruising through the lineup, having retired 15 in a row in the seventh, when an outfield miscue allowed all three runs.
Preston Wilson and Kevin Millar collided on Berkman's deep fly ball to right center, and the ball bounced off the heel of Wilson's glove.
Berkman got to third with one out, and Wilson was charged with the error. Beckett got Richard Hidalgo out on a comebacker, then intentionally walked Daryle Ward to get to Morgan Ensberg.
Ensberg, hitless in 12 at-bats with runners in scoring position, drove Beckett's fastball over Millar's head and into the right-field corner for a triple.
Ensberg then scored on a wild pitch -- a 55-foot curveball that Beckett might have snapped off in frustration.
"He was nasty," Berkman said of Beckett. "In terms of stuff, he's got as good stuff as any right-handed pitcher that I've seen. He has command of three pitches, he pitches in, he pitches out, he's got a good sinker, throws hard, great changeup, great curveball.
"I'd rather face just about any other pitcher in the league than him when he's got stuff the way he did tonight."
Rookie Carlos Hernandez was equally impressive, striking out a career-high eight in 6 1/3 innings for the Astros.
Game notes
Florida ended Houston's scoreless streak at 16 1/3 innings. ... Ward doubled in the second inning, extending his hitting streak to career-high nine games. ... Houston right-handed pitcher Scott Linebrink, who missed a game with a bruised right hand, returned and allowed a hit in the 10th. ... Florida right-hander Kevin Olsen has begun serving a three-game suspension for intentionally hitting Philadelphia's Marlon Anderson on April 5. ... Announced attendance was 5,175.
Alex Gonzalez's one-out, broken-bat single in the 12th inning scored Luis Castillo and gave the Marlins a 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros.
"Those guys have made things happen the last two nights," manager Jeff Torborg said.
Castillo tripled off Brandon Puffer (0-1) with one out, driving the ball over center fielder Lance Berkman's head. Castillo's 23rd career triple moved him past Mark Kotsay and into sole possession of the club record.
"As soon as he hit it I took off running," Berkman said. "At first, I thought I had a bead on it because I didn't think it was going to carry as well as it did, and it kept going and kept going. I got to it; I just didn't get high enough to catch it."
Gonzalez followed with his game-winning hit, a blooper that barely got out of the infield.
"I just wanted to put the ball in play," Gonzalez said. "I just tried to make contact."
Vladimir Nunez (3-0) allowed two hits in three scoreless innings.
Castillo, the team's leadoff hitter, finished with three hits and has six in two games. Gonzalez was 2-for-5 with an RBI for the second consecutive game since moving into the No. 2 spot.
The Marlins trailed 3-0, but evened the score on Gonzalez's leadoff home run in the eighth, his second homer this season.
"I feel comfortable (hitting second)," Gonzalez said. "I see more fastballs. I've got to keep doing my job."
Florida had a chance to win in the 11th after Derrek Lee doubled and moved to third with one out. But Mike Redmond bunted into an inning-ending double play on a suicide squeeze. Redmond popped up to first baseman Jeff Bagwell, who threw to third to get Lee.
Marlins starter Josh Beckett had his finest major league outing, finishing with career-highs in pitches (120), strikeouts (11) and innings (seven). He gave up three hits and three walks but got his third no-decision in four starts.
"I kept us in the game," said Beckett, still dealing with a small blister on the tip of his right middle finger. "I tried to throw too hard; I overthrew it, but I feel fine. ... I'm happy, but I wanted to get my first win."
The only thing keeping him from his first victory probably was an error.
The 21-year-old Texan was cruising through the lineup, having retired 15 in a row in the seventh, when an outfield miscue allowed all three runs.
Preston Wilson and Kevin Millar collided on Berkman's deep fly ball to right center, and the ball bounced off the heel of Wilson's glove.
Berkman got to third with one out, and Wilson was charged with the error. Beckett got Richard Hidalgo out on a comebacker, then intentionally walked Daryle Ward to get to Morgan Ensberg.
Ensberg, hitless in 12 at-bats with runners in scoring position, drove Beckett's fastball over Millar's head and into the right-field corner for a triple.
Ensberg then scored on a wild pitch -- a 55-foot curveball that Beckett might have snapped off in frustration.
"He was nasty," Berkman said of Beckett. "In terms of stuff, he's got as good stuff as any right-handed pitcher that I've seen. He has command of three pitches, he pitches in, he pitches out, he's got a good sinker, throws hard, great changeup, great curveball.
"I'd rather face just about any other pitcher in the league than him when he's got stuff the way he did tonight."
Rookie Carlos Hernandez was equally impressive, striking out a career-high eight in 6 1/3 innings for the Astros.
Game notes
Florida ended Houston's scoreless streak at 16 1/3 innings. ... Ward doubled in the second inning, extending his hitting streak to career-high nine games. ... Houston right-handed pitcher Scott Linebrink, who missed a game with a bruised right hand, returned and allowed a hit in the 10th. ... Florida right-hander Kevin Olsen has begun serving a three-game suspension for intentionally hitting Philadelphia's Marlon Anderson on April 5. ... Announced attendance was 5,175.