Marlins Look Like Champions and Sweep Phillies

The numbers aren't pretty. Just 2.5 runs per game, a .225 team batting average and just 1 homerun through the first week of the season. Sunday, it wasn't any prettier as Jim Thome struck out three times and the Phillies kept losing in Miami as the Marlins beat the Phillies 3-1 to sweep the three game series.

Boxscore

Josh Beckett was the latest pitcher to toy with the Philadelphia Phillies. Beckett struck out 11 in seven masterful innings and Miguel Cabrera homered for the second straight game as the Marlins completed a three-game sweep of the Phillies with a 3-1 win.

Beckett (1-0) had little difficulty with the struggling Phillies, retiring the first nine batters he faced and not allowing a hit through 5 2/3 innings. Beckett's era now stands at just 0.64 through his first two starts as he allowed just two hits and an unearned run while issuing one walk.

Cabrera belted a game-winning two-run homer Saturday and hit a solo shot with two outs in the first inning to give Florida the lead. The blast gave him a hit in each of the Marlins' six games and accounted for his 13th RBI in 15 career games against the Phillies.

Damion Easley also homered for Florida, which has swept four of its last five series with the Phillies.

Armando Benitez worked around a hit in the ninth for his major league-leading fifth save.

Kevin Millwood (0-2) surrendered three runs and five hits in six innings, walking two and striking out four. He has eight career losses to Florida, his most against any opponent, and has just one win in his last 11 starts against Florida.

David Bell had two of the three Phillies hits and drove in two runs for the Phillies, who have lost four straight and have just one home run this season.

PHILADELPHIA (1) VS FLORIDA (3) - FINAL

PHILADELPHIA           ab  r  h rbi bb so lob   avg
M Byrd cf               2  0  1  1   1  1   0  .227
P Polanco 2b            2  0  0  0   1  0   1  .292
J Thome 1b              4  0  0  0   0  3   5  .261
P Burrell lf            4  0  0  0   0  1   2  .364
 B Wagner p             0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .000
B Abreu rf              3  0  0  0   1  2   0  .091
J Rollins ss            4  0  0  0   0  1   1  .190
D Bell 3b               4  1  2  0   0  1   0  .333
T Pratt c               2  0  0  0   0  0   0  .000
 a-M Lieberthal ph-c    2  0  0  0   0  1   3  .100
K Millwood p            2  0  0  0   0  2   1  .000
 T Worrell p            0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .000
 b-R Ledee ph           1  0  0  0   0  0   0  .000
 J Michaels lf          0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .000

Totals                 30  1  3  1   3 12  13

a-struck out swinging for T Pratt in the 7th;  b-grounded to second for 
T Worrell in the 8th.

BATTING: RBI - M Byrd (3). 2-out RBI - M Byrd. Runners left in scoring 
position, 2 out - J Thome 1, M Lieberthal 1, P Burrell 1. GIDP - J Thome. 
Team LOB - 7. 
 
FIELDING: DP: 1 (P Polanco-J Rollins-J Thome). 
 

FLORIDA                ab  r  h rbi bb so lob   avg
J Pierre cf             4  0  0  0   0  0   3  .273
A Nunez lf              4  0  0  0   0  1   1  .000
M Cabrera rf            4  1  1  1   0  1   0  .304
M Lowell 3b             3  0  0  0   1  1   0  .400
H Choi 1b               2  1  0  0   1  0   1  .235
D Easley 2b             3  1  2  1   0  1   0  .667
R Castro c              3  0  0  0   0  1   2  .167
A Gonzalez ss           2  0  1  0   1  0   0  .200
J Beckett p             1  0  1  0   0  0   0  .667
 a-L Castillo ph        0  0  0  1   0  0   2  .350
 N Bump p               0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .000
 T Phelps p             0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .000
 A Benitez p            0  0  0  0   0  0   0  .000

Totals                 26  3  5  3   3  5   9

a-hit sacrifice fly to center for J Beckett in the 7th.

BATTING: 2B - D Easley (1, K Millwood). HR - M Cabrera (3, 1st inning off 
K Millwood 0 on, 2 Out), D Easley (1, 5th inning off K Millwood 0 on, 0 Out). 
S - J Beckett. SF - L Castillo. RBI - M Cabrera (5), D Easley (1), L Castillo (3). 
2-out RBI - M Cabrera. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out - A Nunez 1, 
J Pierre 1. GIDP - H Choi. Team LOB - 4. 
 
FIELDING: E - M Cabrera (1, fly ball). DP: 1 (D Easley-A Gonzalez-H Choi). 
 

----------------------------------------------------
    PHILADELPHIA    - 000 001 000   --   1
    FLORIDA         - 100 010 10x   --   3
----------------------------------------------------

PHILADELPHIA                 ip       h   r  er  bb  so  hr    era
K Millwood (L, 0-2)           6       5   3   3   2   4   2   3.75
T Worrell                     1       0   0   0   1   0   0   0.00
B Wagner                      1       0   0   0   0   1   0   0.00

FLORIDA                      ip       h   r  er  bb  so  hr    era
J Beckett (W, 1-0)            7       2   1   0   1  11   0   0.64
N Bump (H, 1)                   1/3   0   0   0   2   0   0   0.00
T Phelps (H, 1)                 2/3   0   0   0   0   1   0   0.00
A Benitez (S, 5)              1       1   0   0   0   0   0   1.80

K Millwood pitched to 2 batters in the 7th.

IBB - A Gonzalez (by T Worrell). HBP - M Byrd (by J Beckett); P Polanco (by 
J Beckett). Pitches-strikes: K Millwood 92-56; T Worrell 12-5; B Wagner 10-7; 
J Beckett 100-67; N Bump 14-5; T Phelps 7-5; A Benitez 25-16. Ground balls-fly 
balls: K Millwood 9-5; T Worrell 2-1; B Wagner 0-2; J Beckett 6-4; N Bump 1-0; 
T Phelps 0-1; A Benitez 0-3. Batters faced: K Millwood 24; T Worrell 4; 
B Wagner 3; J Beckett 26; N Bump 3; T Phelps 2; A Benitez 4. 
 
UMPIRES: HP--C.B. Bucknor. 1B--Eric Cooper. 2B--Mike Reilly. 3B--Chuck 
Meriwether. 

T--2:45. Att--21,317. 
Weather: 84 degrees, partly cloudy. Wind: 15 mph, in 
from right.