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Mitre, Marlins' bullpen shut down woeful Cubs

May 31, 2007 - 4:42 AM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Despite an injury to Sergio Mitre, the Florida Marlins did something they've never done at Wrigley Field.

Mitre and the bullpen yielded just five hits and Dan Uggla hit two homers as the Marlins crushed the struggling Chicago Cubs, 9-0, sweeping a three-game series here for the first time in franchise history.

Miguel Cabrera and Josh Willingham each hit home runs for Florida, which has scored nine or more runs 10 times this season.

Mitre, a former Cub, allowed three hits and a walk in four innings before leaving the game in the top of the fifth trying to beat out a bunt. The righthander made it safely to first base on the play because of a throwing error by Chicago starter Ted Lilly. However he pulled up just before reaching the bag with what was diagnosed as cramping in his right hamstring.

"I have never felt pain like this before," Mitre said. "So I don't know if it is a cramp or a mild strain. I felt the pain right before I hit the bag."

Reliever Randy Messenger (1-1) allowed two hits in two innings to earn his fist win of the season.

"Mitre was able to set the tone for me," Messenger said. "When I came in their hitters were not being patient at all. All I had to do was put the ball in the strike zone and let them put it in play."

Renyel Pinto, Justin Miller and Lee Gardner each pitched an inning for the Marlins, who have won seven straight vs. the Cubs.

Derrek Lee's players' only meeting before the game did not help, as the Cubs (22-29) dropped their fourth straight and eight of 10 to fall a season-high seven games under .500.

"If it was easy to have a meeting everyday to get a win, we would do it everyday," Lee said. "I still think the meeting was a good one and hopefully it will pay off in the next couple of games."

Uggla got Florida off to quick start, belting a one-out homer into the left field seats to give the Marlins a 1-0 lead. One out late Cabrera also blasted a solo homer into the bleachers in left to increase the lead to two.

"A couple of those balls they hit pretty good," Lilly said. "Especially the first one that Uggla hit, that ball was right down the middle and he hit it good."

Lilly hurt his own cause when his wild pitch in the second inning allowed Aaron Boone to score from third for a 3-0 lead. Uggla added a sacrifice fly in the fifth before hitting a two-run homer to center field in the seventh to increase the lead to six.

"Maybe I have just have more confidence in my swing after I hit the first one," Uggla said. "Then again maybe it is just a little bit of luck."

It was Uggla's 11th blast and third multi-homer game of the season.

That ended the night for Lilly (4-3), who surrendered six runs - five earned - and seven hits in seven innings. The lefthander, who struck out nine, is 0-3 lifetime vs. Florida.

"I made too many mistakes," Lilly said. "Those guys are good hitters and they have shown it throughout the series."

Willingham's two-run homer was part of a three-run eighth for the Marlins which made it 9-0.

"I thought the balls we hit for home runs we hit pretty well," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "When the wind is howling out there the ball can get out in a hurry."

Cliff Floyd had two hits for the Cubs, who were outscored 23-7 in this series.

"All of these guys are playing hard," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "The lineup? I don't know, maybe we will pick the (darn) thing out of a hat and see how that works."