• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Cantu, Marlins complete sweep of Nationals

Apr 11, 2008 - 4:20 AM By Rich Dubroff PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- The Florida Marlins got a well-pitched game from Mark Hendrickson, but it was Josh Willingham who saved the day and helped complete a series sweep.

Hendrickson pitched seven strong innings, Jorge Cantu had three hits and two RBI and Willingham prevented a late home run as the Marlins posted a 4-3 victory over the Washington Nationals on Thursday night.

The win gave Florida its first three-game road sweep of Washington since the franchise relocated from Montreal.

"I don't care if it was the road, home or the Caribbean," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "I don't care. We won. Three games is three games."

With the Marlins ahead, 4-2, in the ninth, Lastings Milledge led off with a double off closer Kevin Gregg. One out later, Nick Johnson hit a long fly ball to left.

Willingham headed back to the fence, leaped and saved a home run, although he did not make the catch. Johnson settled for an RBI double.

"That was the best play I've ever made without catching it," Willingham said. "I was not happy at the time because the ball was in my glove and the fact that I didn't hold on to it. It turns out it was a big play."

Johnson looked like he broke into a home-run trot, thinking he had enough for a game-tying blast.

"I hit it good, but I didn't see it," Johnson said.

After the two-base hit, Gregg hit Austin Kearns with a pitch but recovered to induce Paul Lo Duca to ground into a game-ending double play and notch his second save.

Until the ninth, the story of the game was Hendrickson (2-1), who did not make it through six innings in either of his first two starts of the season.

The tall lefthander allowed just one run and three hits and did not walk a batter as he completed seven innings for the first time since August 11, 2006 while with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"I was reading the hitters very well," Hendrickson said. "We did well offensively to keep adding on."

Trailing, 1-0, courtesy of Ronnie Belliard's home run in the third, the Marlins scored twice in the sixth against Nationals starter Odalis Perez (0-2). Hanley Ramirez led off with a double, moved to third on a groundout and scored on Jeremy Hermida's single to tie the game.

Two batters later, Mike Jacobs singled with two outs, and Cantu greeted reliever Saul Rivera with an RBI double to left for a 2-1 lead.

In his first start against the Marlins since August 2004, Perez allowed two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six without a walk.

"Unfortunately, I lost with a good effort," Perez said.

Florida added a run in the eighth off Luis Ayala as Cantu singled in Willingham. After Washington scored in the bottom of the inning to reduce the deficit to one, Willingham doubled in Ramirez in the ninth to give the Marlins a 4-2 advantage.

The setback was the seventh straight for Washington, which began the season 3-0.

"We're just losing by one run," Milledge said. "It's no big deal. I don't know why everybody's running around crazy. There's 100-and-something games left."