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Ross' blast caps Marlins' comeback

Jun 8, 2008 - 4:24 AM By Christopher Stock PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MIAMI (Ticker) -- Cody Ross hit a walk-off two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Florida Marlins posted an 8-7 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.

The Marlins trailed, 7-5, heading into the ninth inning, but Reds closer Francisco Cordero (2-1) could not hold onto the lead and blew his third save opportunity of the season.

Jorge Cantu led off the frame with a double. Wes Helms grounded out to first as Cantu advanced to third. Dan Uggla walked before Luis Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly to plate Cantu. Ross followed with his 11th home run of the season - a deep blast to center field. Burke Badehop (2-3), who was scheduled to start Sunday's game, picked up the win in relief.

"You can't really put it into words when you're up there and the fans are chanting your name," Ross said. "You want to come through for them and for your team after we battled the whole game."

"It's one of those games that maybe we shouldn't have even been there (in the end), but we'll take it with some of the way we've lost games earlier," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "We battled to the end against one of the premier closers in the National League."

The crowd of 25,289 was hoping to see Reds' slugger Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 600th career home run, but he went 1-for-3 with a single and walked twice. Griffey Jr. has gone 16 at-bats without a homer after hitting his 599th last Saturday.

Adam Dunn hit a game-tying solo home run to deep center field off reliever Logan Kensing in the top of the eighth inning. Dunn's 16th homer of the season came on a 2-2 offering.

Later in the inning, pinch-hitter Javier Valentin struck out swinging for what appeared to be the third out, but Valentin advanced to first on a wild pitch. Paul Bako singled, and pinch-runner Edwin Encarnacion scored when Jerry Hairston Jr. reached on an infield single. Rookie Jay Bruce also delivered an RBI single to give the Reds a 7-5 lead.

Reds starter Bronson Arroyo allowed four runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings. The righthander struck out six and walked two.

"I got us off to a bad start and these guys fought back to get us back in the game," Arroyo said. "It's just too bad to come up a little short because a lot of guys in here contributed to a pretty good game."

Luis Gonzalez and Cantu each homered for the Marlins, who have lost eight straight games to the Reds.

Florida led 4-0 as starter Scott Olsen retired 13 straight batters before giving up a base hit to Hairston in the sixth inning. The Reds took advantage of errors by Cantu and Helms before Brandon Phillips hit a three-run double to tie the game at 4-4.

"It's very tough," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "We battled hard. That was a playoff atmosphere game."

Olsen allowed four unearned runs and four hits in six innings for the Marlins, who have lost six of their last seven games.

"Ollie pitched terrific," Fredi Gonzalez said. "He probably deserved to be in here with a W."