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Ramirez, Wood help Marlins end losing skid

Apr 22, 2007 - 4:03 AM MIAMI (Ticker) -- The Florida Marlins' bats came alive Saturday night and buried the team's six-game losing skid.

Hanley Ramirez hit a two-run homer and Jason Wood homered for the first time in nine years as the Florida Marlins drubbed the Washington Nationals, 9-3.

Josh Willingham had three hits and Dan Uggla added two and scored three times for Florida, which had been outscored, 44-18, and outhit, 78-46, during the skid.

"We swung the bats," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "And everybody contributed."

"It was nice to get some hits and actually do something for my team," Uggla said. "It was about time after six games when we were on a skid like that. It was only a matter of time before we broke out of it."

Already leading, 2-1, with a runner on first in the second, Ramirez rifled a 2-1 pitch off Nationals rookie starter Matt Chico into the left field seats.

Ramirez has hit in eight straight and has hit .400 over the span. It was his first multi-RBI game of the year.

After a run-scoring single by Willingham in the sixth helped increase the lead to 7-3, Wood led off the seventh with a blast over the left field wall off reliever Ryan Wagner for his first home run since July 23, 1999, when he was a member of the Detroit Tigers.

"The first of the century," Wood laughed. "It's been a while, but it's nice to get one. "It felt really good tonight. It was nice to come out on top tonight and contribute."

The last player to go as long without a homer as Wood, who was making his first start since October 1, 1999, was Orioles pitcher Steve Trachsel, who went nine years from 1998-2006.

Marlins starter Anibal Sanchez (2-0) earned the victory despite leaving the game after five innings with cramps in his right hamstring.

"I felt my leg getting cramps and I couldn't push off," Sanchez said. "I didn't want to hurt my team, but if I can't push I lose my command. I felt strong today and was hoping to go seven or eight innings."

The 23-year old Venezuelan allowed three runs - two earned - five hits and three walks while striking out four.

Chico (1-2) surrendered five runs, six hits and seven walks in 4 2/3 innings and struck out six.

"It was one of those days when I was having trouble finding the zone," Chico said. "I started to press a little more, trying to throw strikes. Unfortunately, I threw more balls."

Two of Chico's walks were to Sanchez, something Nationals manager Manny Acta wasn't happy about after the game.

"Obviously, you can't walk seven guys and the pitcher twice and get away with it," Acta said. "The damage could have even been worse."

Ryan Zimmerman, Ryan Church and Felipe Lopez each had two hits for Washington, which still has not won a series in 2007.

"They kept putting runs up on the board and we couldn't really counter it," Church said. "We swung the bats well, but we did let Sanchez off the hook."