NEW YORK - The way the Marlins are playing, only a force of nature could slow them down.
That's exactly what happened.
Carl Pavano and Florida beat the Mets 9-6 Thursday for their seventh win in a row before packing up and flying back to South Florida to prepare for Hurricane Frances. The storm has already forced the postponement of tonight's game against the Cubs, but the Marlins aren't fazed.
"The good news is, I saved $159 on my car insurance," manager Jack McKeon said, spoofing the ubiquitous commercials in his own way. "Hopefully, we'll start up again Saturday and keep going the way we've been going."
Players showered and dressed quickly so they could return to a state bracing for its worst storm in at least a decade. Frances, packing 145 mph winds and the potential to push ashore waves up to 15 feet high, could be felt in Florida by midmorning.
"A lot of us have houses and family down there, so obviously we're worried about it," Pavano said.
Pavano, who tied for the league lead with his 16th win, allowed four runs and eight hits in six-plus innings. Former Devil Ray Damion Easley and Juan Encarnacion each drove in three for the Marlins, who swept the four-game series.
Rookie third baseman David Wright homered twice for the free-falling Mets, who have lost six straight and 11 of 12, ending their homestand at 1-10. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the Mets' worst homestand of 10 or more games since their first season in 1962.
CARDINALS 7, PADRES 2: Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds homered in the first inning and Jeff Suppan won his fifth straight start, leading host St. Louis to a three-game sweep.
Pujols and Edmonds each homered three times in the series for the Cardinals, who have won six in a row and 11 of 13 and have the majors' best record at 89-44. Pujols was 4-for-4 with two RBIs and 8-for-12 with six RBIs in the series and has homered in four straight games.
His 43rd homer matched his career best set last season, and Edmonds gave the Cardinals three 100-RBI men for the second time in franchise history, both in the past two seasons.
DODGERS 8, D'BACKS 4: Adrian Beltre hit his 43rd homer and Milton Bradley doubled twice for visiting Los Angeles. Bradley, who'll leave the team briefly today after the death of his grandfather, doubled in the go-ahead run off Shane Nance in the eighth, bringing Cesar Izturis home from first to put the Dodgers up 4-3.
Errors by second baseman Scott Hairston and shortstop Jerry Gill led to three Los Angeles runs in the eighth, all unearned. Steve Finley homered in the ninth to make it 8-4.
ROCKIES 6, GIANTS 5: Vinny Castilla hit a two-run homer, Matt Holliday drove in two and visiting Colorado beat Jason Schmidt and San Francisco. Former Devil Ray Joe Kennedy pitched effectively into the eighth inning as the Rockies won their second straight after a season-high eight-game losing streak. They also had lost nine straight on the road.
BREWERS 7, PIRATES 1: Ben Sheets pitched a four-hitter for his first win since the All-Star break, Bill Hall drove in four and host Milwaukee salvaged a split of the four-game series. Hall and Keith Ginter homered for the Brewers, who had lost eight consecutive series and 12 of 13.
