NATIONAL LEAGUE ROUNDUP : After Losing Twice, Marlins Beat Giants

The Florida Marlins had two big losses Saturday.

They also had a victory, 3-2 at San Francisco.

Florida’s Gary Sheffield and Bryan Harvey, fresh off the disabled list, broke down again. Sheffield is already back on the list, and Harvey might soon join him.

Harvey, who had been sidelined a month because of a strained elbow, warmed up in the bullpen after Chuck Carr’s ninth-inning RBI single gave the Marlins a 3-2 lead. But Jeremy Hernandez (3-3) stayed in for the bottom of the ninth and closed out the Giants.

“Harvey didn’t feel good warming up, so we shut him down,” Florida Manager Rene Lachemann said. “He would have been our guy. It was a save situation. He got loosened up, but the tightness (in the elbow) is still there.”

Lachemann met with his coaches for almost an hour after the game before emerging to discuss Harvey’s status, which remains uncertain overnight. Sheffield’s is less uncertain.

“It’s the same old thing,” said Sheffield, who re-injured his left shoulder while trying to make a diving catch in right field Friday night. “This morning, I really felt it. Seems like we need to give it more time. They don’t want to rush it this time.”

The Giants left five runners on base in the seventh and eighth innings without scoring, and their record went to 0-6 when tied after seven innings, 1-7 when tied after eight.

Colorado 3, Montreal 2--Joe Girardi singled home the go-ahead run with two out in the 10th inning as the Rockies took advantage of three errors by the Expos at Montreal.

Dante Bichette led off the 10th with a single against Tim Scott (1-2) and Charlie Hayes also singled. Bichette moved to third base on a fly ball and scored on Girardi’s single against Jeff Shaw.

Bruce Ruffin (2-1) pitched two scoreless innings for the victory. Former Expo pitcher Kent Bottenfield got three outs for his first save of the season, the second of his career.

New York 5, Cincinnati 4--Bobby Bonilla homered and doubled twice at New York, where the Mets sent the Reds to their seventh loss in eight games. Bonilla tied a team record by driving in a run in his eighth consecutive game and has hit in 10 games in a row.

Ryan Thompson homered and drove in three runs for the Mets.

Mike Maddux (1-0) shut out Cincinnati on two hits in 3 1/3 innings of relief. John Franco worked the ninth inning for his 11th save.

John Smiley (4-6) gave up four runs and eight hits in seven innings for the Reds.

Houston 7, Philadelphia 5--Luis Gonzalez’s sacrifice fly scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning as the Astros used three relievers, but not Mitch Williams, at Philadelphia.

Williams, who nearly blew Friday night’s game by walking and hitting a batter in the ninth inning, warmed up but didn’t get the call as Houston Manager Terry Collins went to his bullpen three times in three innings.

Williams, returning to Philadelphia this weekend for the first time since being traded to the Astros in December, said Friday he expected to be released and hinted retirement.

Gonzalez’s long fly ball to center scored Jeff Bagwell, who had greeted reliever Andy Carter (0-2) with a double and moved to third on a groundout.

Brian Williams (1-2) got the victory, despite giving up five runs and 10 hits in six innings.

Chicago 9, Atlanta 2--Anthony Young (3-3) gave up one run and five hits in six innings against the Braves at Atlanta. The last time he faced them, on April 15, they scored eight runs and had eight hits in 1 1/3 innings against him.

In his last five starts, Young is 3-1 with a 2.31 earned-run average.

Kent Mercker (3-1) lost for the first time since last July 29.

San Diego 4, St. Louis 0--Wally Whitehurst combined with two relievers on a six-hit shutout and Bip Roberts tripled in two runs for the Padres at San Diego.

Whitehurst (4-5) went five innings for the victory before being lifted for a pinch-hitter because of tenderness in his pitching elbow.

The Padres have won five of their last seven. The Cardinals have lost eight in a row in San Diego.