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Uggla lifts Marlins to sweep of Giants

May 26, 2008 - 1:51 AM By Christopher Stock PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MIAMI (Ticker) -- Dan Uggla delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Florida Marlins a 5-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants and a sweep of a doubleheader Sunday.

Jorge Cantu homered and drove in three runs for the Marlins, who have won five of their last six games.

Wes Helms led off the ninth inning with a double to left field off Tyler Walker. Brian Wilson relieved Walker and got the next two batters, striking out Hanley Ramirez and getting Cody Ross to fly out to center before intentionally walked Cantu. Alfredo Amezaga pinch-hit for Kevin Gregg and walked, setting the stage for Uggla.

Uggla drilled a 95 mile-per-hour fastball up the middle to score Helms with the winning run.

"Those moments come few and far between," Uggla said. "Any time you can do something like that to help your team win, it's one of the best feelings in the world."

On the previous, Uggla took a 97 mph fastball on the inner half of the plate.

"It felt like 108," Uggla said. "He's got great stuff."

Cantu had tied the game in the seventh with a two-out, two-run single to left field off Walker.

"These guys are always battling and you never have to raise your voice (to tell them not to give up)," Marlins manager Ferdi Gonzalez said. "They give you everything you have every night and that's their doing."

Kevin Gregg (4-2) pitched a scoreless ninth and picked up the win.

"Long day, two losses," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "It wasn't a good day. We didn't play well enough. We left runners on, early, couldn't quite cash in. We've got to cut down some of these walks. They're killing us."

San Francisco's Omar Vizquel set the all-time major league record with 2,584 games played at shortstop, passing Luis Aparicio. The 11-time Gold Glove Award winner was honored by the Marlins fans while his teammates remained in the dugout after the fifth inning - once the game became official

"I was a little surprised that they were off the field because I wasn't quite sure what was going to happen," Vizquel said. "I guess they were waiting for the announcement. I felt pretty proud, pretty emotional at that moment when they came on the field and gave me high-fives and congratulated me. It was a pretty cool moment."

Giants catcher Bengie Molina continued his productive day with an RBI double in the third inning to tie the game at 2-2. Molina, who hit three doubles in the first game of the doubleheader, has a career batting average of .444 (24-for-54) against the Marlins - his highest against any team.

Ray Durham and Aaron Rowand had RBI singles in the fifth to give the Giants a 4-2 lead.

Giants righthander Matt Cain allowed two runs, five hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out six while throwing 64 of his 98 pitches for strikes.

Eulogio De La Cruz was recalled from Class AAA Albuquerque prior to the game to make his first major league start for the Marlins. The 24-year-old righty went just three innings, allowing two runs and two hits. He walked four and struck out one while throwing 65 pitches.

"I tried the best that I could, but I've never had only three days' rest," De La Cruz said.