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Cabrera ends long night on bright note for Marlins

May 25, 2007 - 5:44 AM MIAMI (Ticker) -- In a contest that included the ejection of a manager and pitchers throwing at each other, a pretty good series of baseball was completed.

Miguel Cabrera hit a walk-off double in the 11th inning, hitting a shot off the top of the left-center field wall to give the Florida Marlins a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday in the rubber game of a three-game series that was delayed 85 minutes at the start due to rain.

Florida scored four times in the sixth to take the opener of the set, 5-3, before Philadelphia blew a four-run lead late Wednesday only to win, 8-7, in 10 innings. But the best game of the series had yet to be played.

"We played two tough games," Marlins pitcher Dontrelle Willis said. "We had a tough game last night and came up short. We had all the makings of last night, tonight. ... Sometimes you need a little fire. Sometimes you need that."

After Florida left the bases loaded in the ninth and two on in the 10th, Philadelphia stranded three in the 11th. But Hanley Ramirez led off the bottom half with a line single to right off Francisco Rosario (0-3), and Cabrera hit the next pitch high off the fence, easily plating Ramirez, who was running on the pitch.

"It's great," Cabrera said. "The most important thing is we won the game. I thought it was out (of the park). It doesn't matter, though."

Ramirez extended his hitting streak to 10 games, during which he is 17-for-43 with three home runs and five RBI.

Lee Gardner (1-2), who retired Greg Dobbs and Shane Victorino with the bases full in the top of the frame, got the win. The Phillies tied the contest at 4-4 in the eighth inning on an RBI single by Victorino.

Although Cabrera provided the late-game heroics, the two teams provided plenty of fireworks earlier. Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez was ejected in the third inning by first base umpire Chuck Meriwether after arguing a safe call at first on a grounder by Pat Burrell.

"We had a little disagreement," Gonzalez said. "I don't even remember what I said."

In the fourth, starting pitchers Jon Lieber and Willis took turns throwing behind each other, resulting in Willis exchanging words with the Phillies' bench after walking off the mound. Both benches emptied, but order was restored.

"It wasn't a brawl," Gonzalez said. "It was a little boys will be boys."

"I need to protect myself - bottom line," Willis said. "So, we're even. ... I was real impressed that I was able to calm myself down and keep us in the ballgame because you don't want to overlook what you're here to do and we're not here to fight teams.

"We're here to get 'Ws' so we can get into the playoffs. . ... At the same time, I'm not going to back down from anybody. That's not why I'm here."

The Phllies had issues with Willis' angry words as he left the field, and the Marlin had issues with the location of Lieber's pitches.

"He was walking out staring at our dugout yelling," Phillies catcher Rod Barajas said. You just don't do that."

"There's no need for you to walk off the field and talk to the other team and yell at them. It's something you don't do in this game," Barajas added. "And tempers are going to flare when something like that happens."

Philadelphia opened the scoring in the first inning, when Jimmy Rollins singled, stole second and scored on a double to left-center by Aaron Rowand. One batter later, Wes Helms followed by scorching a double just inside the first base line.

Florida got one back in the second on an RBI double by Joe Borchard and took a 3-2 lead on a two-run double to left by Jeremy Hermida, who was 3-for-38 lifetime against the Phillies and hitless in the series.

Philadelphia tied it in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Rollins after it loaded the bases with one out.

The Marlins took a 4-3 lead in the sixth, when Miguel Olivo led off with a triple and scored on a grounder by Borchard. That ended the night for Lieber, who was charged with four runs and six hits in five-plus innings.

"I was just kind of all over the place," Lieber said.

After Florida saved a run in the eighth when second baseman Dan Uggla made a perfect relay throw home after a double off the right field wall by Dobbs, Philadelphia tied it when Victorino followed with a single up the middle.

Willis last 6 1/3 innings, yielding three runs and seven hits with four walks and three strikeouts. The lefthander won his first two starts against Philadelphia this season despite allowing eight runs in 12 1/3 frames. Phillies second baseman Abraham Nunez left the game in the second inning with a mild concussion after colliding with Marlins catcher Olivo after a swing.

"It was a good ballgame," Gonzalez said. "The bullpen pitched well, and let's not forget Dontrelle's effort. It almost felt like it was yesterday. He did a helluva job. Gardner did a nice job ... of getting us out of that jam and giving us an opportunity to win it in the 11th."