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Huff helps Giants beat Marlins 9-6 in 12

May 5, 2010 - 4:03 AM By STEVEN WINE AP Sports Writer

MIAMI(AP) -- The seesaw marathon lasted nearly four hours, and afterward it took awhile for Aaron Rowand to peel off his sweat-soaked uniform.

"My jersey and pants must weigh five pounds," he said.

It was his own fault. Rowand kept the game going with a tying two-out solo homer in the ninth inning, and Aubrey Huff hit a two-run single to break the tie in the 12th, helping the San Francisco Giants beat the Florida Marlins 9-6 Tuesday night.

"That was a crazy game," Huff said. "Two out in the ninth with Rowand coming up, it was kind of dead in the dugout. He saved the game."

Dan Uggla's three-run homer with two out in the eighth off Sergio Romo gave the Marlins a 6-5 lead. They were one out from victory when Rowand homered on a 1-0 hanging slider from closer Leo Nunez.

"I wasn't trying to hit a home run in that situation, especially against a guy like him," Rowand said. "I'm just trying to hit something hard and keep it going."

Unbeaten Giants ace Tim Lincecum had 13 strikeouts in seven innings and left with a 5-3 lead, but he was denied his fifth win of the season when Florida rallied.

"The starter's job isn't to get a win every time," Lincecum said. "It's to put the team in a position to get a win. I threw my seven innings, we nitpicked and scored big runs when we needed to late, and it turned into a really exciting game."

Lincecum was up 3-0 before Hanley Ramirez hit a three-run homer in the sixth. Lincecum's ERA soared to 1.70, but aside from the homer he was in top form, allowing only five hits and one walk.

Dan Runzler (1-0) struck out the side in the 11th, and Guillermo Mota pitched a perfect 12th for his first save. Six San Francisco pitchers combined for 20 strikeouts.

Andres Torres singled with one out in the 12th off Burke Badenhop (0-3), then took third on a double by Pablo Sandoval. After Bengie Molina was intentionally walked, Huff singled.

"It's a case of not getting guys off-balance enough and backing a couple of guys off the plate," Badenhop said.

He threw inside after loading the bases. Nate Schierholtz earned a tough RBI when he was hit by a pitch from Hunter Jones in the side of the helmet. Schierholtz remained on his feet and stayed in the game.

Ramirez, last year's NL batting champion, had three hits to hike his average to .327. Rowand had three RBIs and three of the Giants' 15 hits, and he made a leaping catch in center field.

In the early going, Lincecum was on pace to break the Giants' 106-year-old team record of 16 strikeouts set by Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson. By the fifth inning, Lincecum had 12 Ks and had struck out every position player, making the Marlins look silly at times. Cody Ross fell down when he swung at a 3-2 pitch and missed.

An inning later, the bats began finding the ball. Pinch hitter Mike Lamb singled to start the sixth, and Cameron Maybin beat out a swinging bunt. Rowand robbed Chris Coghlan of a hit, but Ramirez hit the next pitch for a homer.

It was his fourth homer in a span of nine at-bats, and his sixth this season.

With Florida trailing 5-3 in the eighth, Coghlan walked with one out and Ramirez singled. Jorge Cantu struck out for the fourth time, but Uggla hit his sixth homer on the next pitch.

The Giants' bullpen has failed to protect a lead for Lincecum in his past two starts.

Florida starter Anibal Sanchez allowed three runs, two earned, in six innings. Nunez blew a save for the second time in six chances.

"We were just one hit away from shaking hands," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "It's baseball. You can't hold the ball and run out the clock."

The Giants went 6 for 14 with runners in scoring position. Juan Uribe hit a two-out, two-run double in the eighth to put them ahead 5-3.

"We had some big hits," manager Bruce Bochy said. "That's what it takes to win games like this."

Notes: Before the game, Marlins RHP Clay Hensley was reinstated from the bereavement list and rejoined the team. RHP Tim Wood was optioned to Triple-A New Orleans. OF John Raynor, selected by Pittsburgh in the Rule 5 draft, was returned to the Marlins. ... Giants SS Edgar Renteria (groin) took part in pregame drills and is improving but was again held out of the lineup. He has been sidelined since leaving Friday's game. ... LHP Barry Zito, scheduled to start Wednesday, is 4-0 with a 2.35 ERA in five starts against Florida.