Marlins Roll Over Mets After Layoff

Playing for the first time in five days following Hurricane Frances, the Florida Marlins picked up where they left off.

A.J. Burnett (6-6) gave up two hits in 6 1/3 innings, Miguel Cabrera hit a 471-foot homer and the Marlins extended their longest winning streak since 1997 to eight games by beating the New York Mets, 7-3, Tuesday night at Miami.

Tom Glavine (9-12) lasted five innings for the Mets, who lost their 10th in a row.

Burnett, who was clocked as high as 99 mph, gave up three runs, including one in the sixth inning when he walked three batters and hit one.

The Marlins are two games behind front-runner Chicago in the National League wild-card race.

“I don’t want to go home. After Oct. 28, I’ll go home,” Cabrera said. “It’s like we played last year. We’re playing as a team. Now nobody can stop us.”

Montreal 7, Chicago 6 -- Brian Schneider hit a go-ahead single in the top of the 12th inning against Todd Wellemeyer (1-1), the Cubs’ eighth pitcher, to help lift the Expos.

The Cubs hold only a half-game lead over San Francisco and Houston for the the NL wild card.

Houston 9, Cincinnati 7 -- Roy Oswalt became the league’s first 17-game winner, and the host Astros extended their winning streak to 11, one shy of the club record set Sept. 3-14, 1999.

Oswalt (17-9) improved to 9-1 in his last 11 starts and to 11-0 in 15 career games against the Reds. The Astros have won 14 of their last 15.

St. Louis 4, San Diego 2 -- Pinch-hitter Roger Cedeno’s go-ahead, two-run double in the top of the sixth inning helped the Cardinals earn their 10th victory in 11 games.

Rick Ankiel, whose once-promising career was derailed by wild pitches and elbow surgery, pitched in relief for his first appearance with the Cardinals in more than three years.

The Padres lost for the sixth time in eight games and stayed 2 1/2 games behind the Cubs in the NL wild-card race.

Pittsburgh 2, Milwaukee 0 -- Dave Williams (1-1) pitched 6 1/3 shutout innings for his first victory in nearly three full seasons, and Jason Bay homered at Pittsburgh.

The Pirates ended a five-game skid with their sixth victory in 21 games.

Philadelphia at Atlanta, ppd. -- Rain forced the postponement. The teams will play a doubleheader today.