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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
MIAMI (AP) -- Chuck Smith wanted to pitch the ninth inning. He'll
settle for a win.
|  | | Marlins pitcher Chuck Smith allowed four hits and struck out 11 in eight innings' work. |
Coming off a four-hitter at Colorado -- a game that was called
after six innings because of heavy rain -- Smith wanted a "real"
complete game.
Smith allowed four hits and struck out 11 in eight strong
innings as the Florida Marlins beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-1
on Friday night.
The way Smith has pitched lately, he'll probably get more
chances to go the distance.
Smith (6-6) won for the fourth time in six starts, striking out
the side twice. He walked three and threw 125 pitches, the only
reason he didn't start the ninth.
"He's been a real good story for them," Phillies manager Terry
Francona said. "He's been bouncing around. He does have good
stuff. When he moves it around like that he's not bad. I was
talking to (Florida manager) John Boles last time and he was real
pleased with him. I can see why."
Smith, a 30-year-old rookie right-hander, has given up four hits
or fewer in five of his last six starts and allowed three earned
runs or fewer in 15 of 19 major-league starts. He has allowed an
average of just four hits and 1.8 runs over his last six starts.
"He's got electric stuff," Boles said. "I would have loved to
see him finish the game."
Luis Castillo and Cliff Floyd hit solo home runs for the
Marlins, who have won four in a row and six of seven.
Castillo led off the bottom of the first with his second home
run of the season and fourth of his career. The run was his 100th
of the season, making him the second Marlins player to accomplish
that feat. Gary Sheffield scored 100 runs in 1996.
Castillo had champagne waiting for his teammates in the
clubhouse after the game.
His homer was estimated at 396 feet -- farther than he's ever hit
a baseball. He said he hasn't even hit one that far in batting
practice.
"I didn't see the ball," Castillo said. "I got to second base
and heard the crowd cheering. That's when I knew I got it."
Philadelphia tied the game in the fourth with an unearned run.
Travis Lee tripled into the right-field corner and scored when
Castillo's errant relay throw skipped under third baseman Mike
Lowell's glove and bounced into the dugout.
It was all the Phillies would get off Smith.
The Marlins came right back with a pair of runs in the bottom
half off Bruce Chen (7-4) to take a 3-1 lead.
Alex Gonzalez, fighting to stay above .200, led off with a
single and scored two batters later on Preston Wilson's double.
Lowell followed with a bloop single into short center field that
Reggie Taylor got a bad jump on.
Wilson then scored on a double steal, his 35th stolen base of
the season.
Florida put the game out of reach with a three-run sixth and a
run in the eighth.
Floyd led off the sixth with his 21st homer. Wilson and Derrek
Lee both singled and scored on Ramon Castro's single. Taylor's
throwing error allowed Lee to come home.
"Reggie had a tough, tough night," Francona said.
Chen gave up eight hits and five earned runs in six innings, but
struck out a career-high nine.
"I felt very good," Chen said. "I was painting the outside
corner, everything was down. The scoreboard just didn't show it."
Game notes
Wilson went 2-for-3 with a walk, remaining three strikeouts
away from Bobby Bonds' major-league record of 189 set in 1970. ...
Castillo's home run was his first at home, ending a streak of 800
at-bats without a homer at Pro Player Stadium. ... Phillies OF
Bobby Abreu has reached base in 38 straight games. ... In addition
to the bad jump and the throwing error, Taylor struck out three
times. But he got his first major-league hit in the eighth. ...
Chen has pitched through six innings in 10 of his last 12 starts.
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Baseball Scoreboard
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Florida Clubhouse
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