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Baker lifts Marlins to walk-off win over Braves

Sep 1, 2008 - 9:33 PM MIAMI (Ticker) -- John Baker started September by keeping the Florida Marlins above .500.

Baker lifted a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning Monday, leading Florida to a 4-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

Florida (70-68) started the day seven games back in the NL East, and hasn't won two games in a row since the end of July.

But Baker got the final month of the season off to a good start, lofting a shallow fly ball to left field off Braves righthander Mike Gonzalez (0-1), allowing Dan Uggla to race home with the winning run.

"I'll take anything that results in a win," Baker said. "I knew I hit it to the left fielder's left, so I knew it would be a tough play for either guy.

"With one out, it's the one chance we have to win without getting a hit."

Matt Lindstrom (2-2) pitched a scoreless ninth inning, working around two hits to record the win.

Uggla opened the ninth by walking and was sacrificed to second by Josh Willingham. Gonzalez then walked the next two batters, loading the bases and setting the stage for Baker.

"I just wasn't throwing strikes. I wasn't getting it done today," Gonzalez said. "I felt good, I just have to get that first strike. It gets harder when you know they're not swinging and looking for a walk. The strike zone just becomes so much smaller. I didn't get it done.

"I just a little bit off. I wasn't missing by much. I beat myself in this situation. When you lose for walking three guys, that's where it hurts."

Jorge Cantu opened the scoring for Florida with a two-run homer in the first inning off Braves starter Mike Hampton. It was Cantu's 23rd home run of the season.

Hampton pitched six innings, allowing three runs and six hits. He struck out two and walked three.

"Mistakes early cost me a couple runs," Hampton said. "I had to make my pitch to Cantu and I didn't do that. I kind of settled down after that."

The Braves pulled within 2-1 in the second inning on an RBI single from Chipper Jones, but gave the run right back in the third inning on a run-scoring double by Luis Gonzalez.

Atlanta knotted the score at 3-3 off Marlins starter Josh Johnson in the fifth inning on run-scoring singles by Jones and Josh Anderson.

"We had a couple of opportunities to get them in," Atlanta manager Bobby Cox said. "They've got good pitching over there, very good pitching. Hampton pitched us a good game. We had a good chance to win it."

Johnson pitched six innings, surrendering three runs and nine hits, striking out nine without walking a batter.

Johnson has made nine starts this season since coming back from right elbow surgery, which kept him out of action for all but four ineffective outings in 2007.

"I felt good trying to get into a rhythm," Johnson said. "I'm a little inconsistent.

"But the wins is a big lift. Everybody's got smiles on their faces and that's what we want right now. We want to get something positive going."

The Braves have lost four straight and 17 of their last 21 games to fall 20 games under .500 for the first time since 1990.