BASEBALL ROUNDUP : Last-Place Marlins Whip Front-Running Phillies

The team with baseball’s best record played the team with the worst record, and the result was a blowout.

The worst team won.

Darrell Whitmore and rookie Quilvio Veras each homered and drove in two runs to help the Florida Marlins cool off the Philadelphia Phillies, 9-1, Monday night at Miami.

“Baseball is a strange game,” said Florida’s Greg Colbrunn, who also homered.

Philadelphia (13-5) lost for only the second time in 12 games.

John Burkett (3-2) gave up no hits in the first 4 1/3 innings and departed after giving up five hits and one run in 6 2/3 innings.

Atlanta 4, Colorado 0--The Braves, who had won two of their previous 10 games, got just what they needed--a game against the Rockies. After this victory at Atlanta, the Braves are 22-2 against Colorado.

Kent Mercker yielded four hits in eight innings and also singled in a run for the Braves, and Javier Lopez hit a solo homer.

“I’d say it’s probably the best I’ve ever pitched in my career as far as command and location,” said Mercker, who pitched a no-hitter in his first start last season against the Dodgers.

Mercker (1-1), who struck out eight, used 85 pitches, 64 of them strikes.

New York 5, Montreal 3--Edgardo Alfonzo hit a two-run single that capped a three-run rally in the eighth inning at New York, preventing the Expos from completing a four-game sweep.

The Expos also lost first baseman Cliff Floyd, who fractured and dislocated his left wrist in a collision with the Mets’ Todd Hundley. It was uncertain how long he will be sidelined.

Chicago 6, San Francisco 1--Steve Trachsel improved to 10-1 on the road with this victory at San Francisco. The problem is, he is 1-9 at home.

Trachsel became only the second National League pitcher to throw a complete game. Cincinnati’s Kevin Jarvis was the other.

San Diego 7, St. Louis 5--Brad Ausmus had the first four-hit game of his career, and squeezed home the go-ahead run in the eighth inning as the Padres beat the Cardinals in San Diego. Ausmus and Steve Finley hit solo home runs for the Padres before 6,758, San Diego’s smallest home crowd since September 1993.

AMERICAN LEAGUE Texas 12, Toronto 4--Mickey Tettleton drove in four runs, hit his sixth homer and reached base in his first four at-bats to lead the Rangers at Arlington, Tex.

When the left-handed-hitting Tettleton came to the plate, the Blue Jays put three infielders on the right side and had third baseman Ed Sprague stationed about 15 feet to the left of second base. The only time they got Tettleton out was when he popped up in the seventh inning.

“I guess that’s one way to beat the shift,” Tettleton said.