NL: Marlins get unexpected spark

WASHINGTON - As good as Florida's pitching has been, a victory in a game started by Ismael Valdez felt like a bonus.

Valdez combined with two relievers on a five-hitter for his first win in more than a month, and Luis Castillo went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs in a rare chance to lead off, lifting the Marlins past the Nationals 4-2 Tuesday night.

"No question, it pumps us up. You come in here, you lose the first game of the series, and now you're up against the wall," Marlins manager Jack McKeon said. "It's nice to come out of this one and have one of your top pitchers going the next one, then another top pitcher the next one."

That would be Dontrelle Willis, who will try to become the franchise's first 20-game winner today, followed by 2003 World Series MVP Josh Beckett on Thursday.

The Nationals, meanwhile, have lost two starters to injuries, so Tuesday they sent Darrell Rasner to the mound in his major-league debut. He didn't make it out of the third inning, giving up three runs on four hits and taking the loss.

Five relievers followed, but none went longer than two innings, so the bullpen should be ready to work today if another spot starter, left-hander John Halama, doesn't go deep.

"We'll go through the whole staff again" today, Nationals manager Frank Robinson said. "I'm not thinking long term, right now. I'm thinking about trying to win that one (today). It's going to be a handful in itself."

Not an ideal situation for a club trying to stay in a playoff race.

Florida and Washington both rank in the league's top six in team ERA. But Valdez missed much of the season with a broken right leg and went in with a 4.36 ERA, and his only victory of 2005 came Aug. 1.

"That's the guy we have to beat," Nationals outfielder Marlon Byrd said.

BRAVES 3, METS 1: John Smoltz outpitched Pedro Martinez and Andruw Jones drove in two as host Atlanta won its second straight over New York.

Facing Martinez for the third time this season, Smoltz won his second straight in the matchup of former Cy Young Award winners. Smoltz allowed seven hits and one run in seven innings, walking one and striking out two.

The Braves improved to 11-4 against the Mets, who fell to 20-50 at Turner Field. They have won five of six overall.

CUBS 5, CARDINALS 2: Glendon Rusch was perfect for six innings and pitched into the eighth for his first victory in more than two months, helping visiting Chicago.

Derrek Lee hit his 40th homer on his 30th birthday and drove in two for the Cubs, who knocked out Matt Morris in the fifth and have won four of five. Corey Patterson also homered for the Cubs, 7-4 against the league-best Cardinals.

D'BACKS 4, PIRATES 2 (12): Rookie catcher Ryan Doumit's errant throw on a rundown play in the 12th got Pete Mackanin's managerial run in Pittsburgh off to a losing start as visiting Arizona ended a five-game losing streak. The Pirates lost their fifth straight and first under their interim manager. Arizona tied it in the seventh when rookie Conor Jackson doubled and scored on Luis Terrero's single into left.

REDS 2, BREWERS 1 (10): Javier Valentin's run-scoring single in the 10th lifted host Cincinnati to its second extra-inning win in its past three games. The Reds tied it at 1 in the seventh on Felipe Lopez's run-scoring single.

DODGERS 4, GIANTS 2 (10): Jeff Kent's 2 run homer in the bottom of the tenth ended the Giants six-game win streak.

[Last modified September 7, 2005, 01:32:08]