Bullpen Fails Diamondbacks

Between starts by Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson, the Arizona Diamondbacks sent out Brian Anderson to face the Florida Marlins Saturday night.

While Anderson did his job, the Marlins rallied against the Diamondbacks’ bullpen for a 4-2 victory.

Dave Berg, playing shortstop in place of injured Alex Gonzalez, delivered the key hit, a tiebreaking two-run single in a three-run eighth inning.

Jesus Sanchez, Dan Miceli (4-2) and Antonio Alfonseca combined on a two-hitter, helping the Marlins beat the Diamondbacks for the fourth time in 19 games. Arizona had won six in a row at Miami.

“Every win is a big win,” Berg said. “The pitchers gave us a chance to win, keeping us in it.

“The starts are few and far between, but my goal is to have fun out there. I’m not going to change anything. I’ll just go to the park everyday and look at the lineup and see where I am.”

Anderson, winless in six starts since June 28, allowed one run and five hits in 6 1/3 innings, and hit a 400-foot double in the fourth. He is 10 for 47 (.213) at the plate.

He was relieved by Byung-Hyun Kim (2-5), who couldn’t hold a 2-1 lead.

“I used to run out there and good, bad or ugly and we’d get a win,” Anderson said. “Now I go out there and not a lot of good things are happening to the team.”

In the eighth, Mark Smith singled and stole second, Preston Wilson walked, Kim threw a wild pitch and Mike Lowell’s bloop double down the right-field line tied the score. Mike Morgan relieved and Berg singled to center.

Miceli pitched a hitless eighth and Alfonseca threw a perfect ninth for his 30th save in 33 chances.

Sanchez allowed two runs, two hits and six walks in seven innings.

Marlin second baseman Luis Castillo went 0 for four, ending a 19-game hitting streak.