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Cantu, Marlins make history in win over Nationals

Sep 13, 2008 - 4:30 AM MIAMI (Ticker) -- The playoffs were just out of reach for the Florida Marlins this season. So they made history instead.

Jorge Cantu homered and Scott Olsen threw six strong innings as the Marlins edged the Washington Nationals, 2-1, on Friday.

Cantu's fourth-inning blast off rookie Shairon Martis was his 25th of the season, making the Marlins the first team in major league history to boast four infielders with 25 home runs or more.

"It's a real, real neat accomplishment. Great feat and honor," Cantu said. "Twenty years from now, you'll look back and, hey, we're right there. The first team to do it."

A third baseman, Cantu joins first baseman Mike Jacobs (32), second baseman Dan Uggla (30) and shortstop Hanley Ramirez (29).

"That's how we play - we hit home runs," Olsen said. "We don't do the little things as well as other teams, but we hit home runs pretty well. So that's one of the things that will separate those guys from a lot of people and a lot of teams."

Though Cantu's record-setting solo shot tied the game at 1-1, it took a bit of patience and serendipity for the Marlins to actually take the lead. With the game still even in the sixth, Ramirez drew a walk and immediately stole second, easily beating on an off-target throw by catcher Wil Nieves.

One batter later, John Baker bounced a grounder to Martis, who appeared to have Ramirez caught between second and third. But rather than staying ahead of the runner, the rookie righthander threw to second base, and shortstop Cristian Guzman had to rush a throw to third to try to catch the speedy Ramirez.

The throw bounced away, allowing the All-Star to score.

"I have to run after the runner," Martis said. "So I made a mistake right there. I threw the ball behind him. He took the lead on me. Those are the things that are going to cause me to lose the game, so if I had run after him, I could have maybe one out and get out of the inning."

It was Ramirez' 113th run scored this season, tops in the major leagues.

Olsen (7-10) snapped a personal six-game losing streak, limiting the Nationals to one run and six hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked four in notching his first victory since July 19 against the Philadelphia Phillies.

In his nine subsequent starts, he had registered a 5.74 ERA.

Martis (0-2) had a strong showing in his second career start, striking out nine in five innings while yielding two runs and two hits. His only major mistakes came on Cantu's home run and the defensive miscue in the sixth.

"He was great, even when he made that throw to second base instead of throwing to third," Nieves said. "He kept his composure and he was fine with it. He knew he messed up. It was a mental mistake."

In two starts, Martis has suffered a pair of losses but pitched reasonably well, giving up just three earned runs and six hits in 10 innings.

New Marlins closer Matt Lindstrom pitched a perfect ninth to record his third save in six opportunities.

Anderson Hernandez drove in the Nationals' lone run with a double in the second inning that opened a 1-0 advantage.

"It's baseball. You can't score runs every day," Washington's Ryan Zimmerman said. "We had chances and we just couldn't get the runs in."