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Treanor, Cabrera help send Cubs to second straight loss

Sep 27, 2007 - 3:57 AM MIAMI (Ticker) -- Matt Treanor's RBI single in the fifth inning broke open a tie game and Miguel Cabrera cemented it two innings later with a two-run homer, helping the Florida Marlins down the Chicago Cubs, 7-4, on Wednesday.

The Marlins' second straight win over Chicago (83-75) left the National League Central-leading Cubs with a slim two-game lead in the division over the Milwaukee Brewers (81-76).

The Brewers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-3, earlier Wednesday.

"Maybe we're pressing a little bit," Cubs second baseman Mark DeRosa said. "I'd like to think we're not playing tight, but maybe there are some circumstances where we are."

"They're going home and they want to take somebody home with them," Cubs outfielder Jacque Jones said of the Marlins. "We've got to not let that happen. I still think we feel like we're in first place, which we are. That's the bottom line."

The Marlins are enjoying their role in the playoff race, even if it is only as a spoiler.

"We're right in the middle of the eye of the storm to make an impact," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "It's a good thing. The better thing is to be in the Cubs' situation, two games up and winning their division. But it's nice to be a part of something important."

"They (the Cubs) have got a lot more to lose than we do," Marlins reliever Lee Gardner said. "Whether or not they're pressing, they're competitive, they're all ballplayers. They're in the hunt."

Tied, 4-4, in the fifth, Todd Linden hit a two-out double off Cubs starter Jason Marquis (12-9). Five pitches later, Treanor lined a single to the left-center field gap to plate Linden for the go-ahead run at 5-4 but was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double.

"It felt good," Treanor said. "I was trying to stretch it out into a double and get into scoring position (myself) but the guy (Alfonso Soriano) has got a pretty good arm out there."

In the seventh, Cabrera followed Jeremy Hermida's one-out double with a home run off Cubs reliever Carlos Marmol, who had not been scored upon in 18 straight appearances, spanning 22 1/3 innings. For the four-time All-Star, it was his career-high 34th homer, surpassing the 33 he has hit in three of the past four seasons.

The 34 home runs are the second-best mark in club history, trailing only the 42 that Gary Sheffield belted in 1998.

Logan Kensing (2-0) yielded one hit over two scoreless innings to get the win. Gardner, the eighth and final pitcher of the contest, worked around a double from Daryle Ward in the ninth for his second save in as many chances and first save since April 8.

Marquis surrendered five runs - four earned - and nine hits over five innings to take the loss for the Cubs, who have lost nine straight games to the Marlins - the longest losing streak in franchise history to Florida.

"We haven't had success against this team," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "They've got our number. We'll beat these guys tomorrow, and go from there."