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Cantu's single in 12th gives Marlins' 7-6 victory

Jun 24, 2009 - 3:52 AM MIAMI(AP) -- The Florida Marlins squandered a late five-run lead but still managed to reach the .500 mark for the first time since mid-May.

Jorge Cantu singled home Emilio Bonifacio with no outs in the 12th inning Tuesday night to give the Marlins a 7-6 victory over Baltimore that snapped the Orioles' five-game winning streak.

Brian Bass (4-2) began the 12th by walking Bonifacio and he advanced to second on a wild pitch with Hanley Ramirez batting. Ramirez was then intentionally walked.

Cantu lined a single to left and Luke Scott's throw home beat Bonifacio but the ball came out of catcher Gregg Zaun's glove on the tag.

"I thought he was out. I didn't see Zaun drop the ball," said Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez, whose team led 6-1 after seven innings.

Zaun said he should have made the play despite the short hop.

"It's not one I haven't made dozens of times in my career before. It just took a funny little squirt to the right and I didn't catch it in a good part of the mitt," Zaun said.

Ramirez hit his second career grand slam and Dan Uggla homered for Florida, which improved to 36-36, its first time at .500 since May 13.

Matt Wieters homered and added an RBI single for Baltimore.

Burke Badenhop (5-2) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.

The Orioles scored three runs in the ninth to tie the game at 6 with five consecutive singles off relievers Matt Lindstrom and Brian Sanches.

Pinch-hitter Ty Wigginton's run-scoring single made it 6-5 and chased Lindstrom. Sanches came on and gave up Oscar Salazar's single that tied the score.

Lindstrom failed to earn the save two nights after allowing two ninth-inning runs in saving a 6-5 victory against the New York Yankees.

"It's inexplicable, I can't put my finger on anything except I have to do a better job and take responsibility for what happened," Lindstrom said.

Ramirez's grand slam highlighted a five-run seventh that gave Florida a 6-1 lead.

Danys Baez relieved Koji Uehara to start the seventh and gave up five runs in one-third of an inning.

"It was a hanging split-finger to Ramirez. I threw a good one before that," Baez said.

Uehara is now 0-4 with six no-decisions since his last win, on April 13.

Florida's Andrew Miller pitched one-hit ball through seven innings, allowing one run, two walks and striking out four. He retired 13 straight batters at one point.

"I was throwing out of the windup a lot tonight, which was nice," Miller said.

Uggla's 14th homer tied at 1 in the fifth.

Baltimore took a 1-0 lead two batters into the game. Brian Roberts led off with a double to left went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Nick Markakis.

Florida's Leo Nunez left the game with a sprained right ankle after facing two batters in the eighth, including Wieters' homer

Notes: Ramirez hit his first grand slam off Washington's Steven Shell on opening day. ... The Orioles recalled RHP Chris Ray from Triple-A Norfolk. ... Baltimore SS Cesar Izturis (appendicitis) joined the team in Florida. "He started some light activity, some running, jogging, swinging the bat off the tee, playing catch," said manager Dave Trembley, who added Izturis likely would need a week before increasing the workload. ... Trembley said RHP Dennis Sarfate (circulatory condition) was ready to start throwing off the mound in his rehab.