Marlins 5, Braves 4

ATLANTA – Mike Lowell and Miguel Cabrera hit back-to-back homers and the Florida Marlins overcame a shaky start by Dontrelle Willis to beat the Atlanta Braves 5-4.

Lowell also doubled and scored a run during a three-run first inning for the Marlins, who won for only the second time in six games.

Josias Manzanillo (1-1) pitched a season-high 2 2-3 innings for his first win in about 21/2 years. He took over for Willis with two on and one out in the fifth, and got out of the jam by retiring Julio Franco and Andruw Jones.

Armando Benitez got five outs for his 26th save in 28 chances, his first outing in six days.

Eli Marrero homered and finished 3-for-4 for the Braves, who had won a season-high three straight.

Willis hasn’t made it out of the fifth in his past three starts, all after he beat Detroit about two weeks ago with a seven-hitter. He went 4 1-3 innings in this one and allowed four runs on nine hits.

The Marlins took a 3-0 lead in the first against Mike Hampton (2-8), who has given up 18 runs in that inning during his 15 starts. With one out, Juan Pierre singled and moved to third on a double by Lowell.

Cabrera was intentionally walked to load the bases, and Hampton then walked Jeff Conine to force in Pierre. A single by Alex Gonzalez – only his second hit in the past five games – brought home Lowell, and Cabrera scored on a forceout by Chris Aguila.

Atlanta tied it on Marrero’s three-run homer in the fourth, a towering drive to the seats in left. But the Marlins got the lead right back on the solo shots in the fifth – both off Hampton – and the bullpen made it stand.

Notes: Aguila made the first start of his major league career and got his first RBI. He’s still looking for his first hit. … Franco singled in the fourth for the 2,400th hit of his career. … Atlanta C Johnny Estrada, who left Monday night’s game after he was hit in the leg by a pitch, is listed day-to-day. He grounded out to first as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning. … Manzanillo’s last win came Aug. 12, 2001, against the San Diego Padres. … Florida last had back-to-back homers April 21, at Philadelphia.

AP-ES-06-29-04 2223EDT