Fernandez in Miami, as He Beats Marlins

Osvaldo Fernandez wanted to pitch for Florida, which makes sense. Miami was a natural fit for the 27-year-old Cuban defector.

But the Marlins had set their sights elsewhere in the defector derby, and the San Francisco Giants got him for $3.2 million for three years, with an extra $700,000 available in incentives.

Friday night, he not only pitched against the Marlins, but beat them, 7-1, in Miami with a strong eight-inning effort.

Fernandez gave up one run, struck out five and walked two.

“Thanks go to my agent Joe Cubas, who picked the right team, the right fit for me to pitch. I was focused on what I had to do,” said Fernandez. “My two-seam fastball and the slider was working well for me.”

They hadn’t been in spring training, when he was 0-2 with a 9.45 earned-run average, giving up 30 hits in 20 innings and giving critics plenty of ammunition.

Maybe the difference was pitching in Miami.

“He was psyched, he wanted it, he was ready,” Giant Manager Dusty Baker said.

But there was no indication of any unusual support for Fernandez in the crowd of 24,769, though some observers, including Cubas, said that because most Cubans are Catholic, they probably stayed home on Good Friday.

Maybe.

“It wasn’t just Good Friday,” Baker said. “It was a great Friday.”

St. Louis 5, Atlanta 4--Ron Gant drew a bases-loaded walk in the 14th inning to send the Cardinals to a victory at Atlanta.

With one out in the 14th, losing pitcher Mike Bielecki walked John Mabry, who moved up on a fielder’s choice. Royce Clayton was walked intentionally and pinch-hitter Ozzie Smith got an infield hit to load the bases. Gant, who homered earlier against his former teammates, walked on four pitches.

San Diego 10, Houston 4--Tony Gwynn followed his four-hit game of the day before with three more hits, including a two-run double for the Padres.

Rickey Henderson hit a bases-loaded triple, helping Bob Tewksbury win his debut for the Padres.

Montreal 6, Colorado 4--Trailing, 4-3, in the sixth inning, the Expos bunched a bloop single by pinch-hitter Sherman Obando, a fielder’s choice and infield singles by Mark Grudzielanek and Rondell White to win their home opener and their third game in a row.

Rheal Cormier became the first Canadian-born player to start a home opener for the Expos in the club’s 28-year history, but he lasted only four innings.

Mike Munoz (0-1), who arrived from Denver just before the game after his wife had given birth to a baby daughter Thursday night, relieved starter Armando Reynoso in the sixth and was the victim of Montreal’s key inning.

Pittsburgh 7, New York 5--Al Martin homered twice and Zane Smith earned a victory in his return to the Pirates’ rotation in New York.

Martin gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead with his first homer in the first inning, then capped a three-run seventh with a two-run shot off Dave Mlicki.

Cincinnati 6, Philadelphia 5--Barry Larkin homered one pitch after being brushed back to lead off the 10th inning, helping the Reds to a victory at Philadelphia.

Phillie reliever Toby Borland threw a high, inside pitch to Larkin, backing him out of the batter’s box. Larkin drove the next pitch over the left-field fence.

Pinch-hitter Eric Owens’ RBI single gave the Reds a 6-4 lead.