MIAMI (AP) – Josh Beckett pitched a four-hitter and Carlos Delgado came off the disabled list to hit a go-ahead homer, helping the Florida Marlins beat the San Francisco Giants 2-1 Saturday night.

The Giants had five baserunners in the final two innings, but failed to score. After the first two batters reached in the ninth, Beckett retired Pedro Feliz, Edgardo Alfonzo and Todd Linden.

The Marlins preserved the lead when center fielder Juan Pierre threw out Linden trying to score from second on a single in the eighth. The throw and the 230-pound Linden arrived at the plate at the same time, and catcher Matt Treanor held onto the ball despite being rolled by the runner.

Beckett (11-6) struck out seven, walked three and threw 106 pitches. The complete game was his first since April 10 and the 11th this season by the Marlins, most in the major leagues.

Feliz hit his 18th homer leading off the second for the Giants’ only run.

Delgado, the Marlins’ cleanup hitter, was activated after missing 17 games with a sore left hand. He walked against Brett Tomko in the second inning, then hit a 1-1 pitch the opposite way over the scoreboard leading off the fourth for a 2-1 lead.

The Marlins badly needed Delgado’s bat back in the lineup. They stranded six runners in scoring position and have totaled only three runs in the past three games, but they snapped a two-game losing streak.

Tomko (7-12) lost for the first time in seven career decisions against Florida. He allowed eight hits and two runs in six innings.

After Feliz homered, Beckett retired the next 12 batters. He threw just 44 pitches in the first five innings.

Florida tied it in the second on Alex Gonzalez’s two-out RBI double.

Treanor’s tag was reminiscent of the final game in the 2003 division playoff series, when Ivan Rodriguez absorbed a blow from the Giants’ J.T. Snow at the plate and made the tag for the last out.

After tagging Linden for the second out in the inning, a dazed Treanor staggered away from the plate, his left pants leg badly torn. Pinch-hitter Ray Durham walked to keep the rally going, but Beckett struck out Randy Winn, then pumped his fist three times and screamed at the batter as he walked to the dugout.

Marlins starters have allowed a total of two runs in the past three games.

Beckett missed his first career homer by a few feet when he doubled in the fifth. Thinking his hit had cleared the scoreboard, he went into a trot and made a home-run gesture as he reached second base.

Florida went on to load the bases with one out but failed to score. Miguel Cabrera struck out, and second baseman Deivi Cruz – playing several steps behind the infield dirt – made a diving catch of Delgado’s soft liner to end the threat.

The first two Marlins hitters singled in the sixth, but Tomko again pitched out of the jam.

Notes: The Giants lost for only the second time in their past nine games in Miami. … Cabrera is 0-for-11 in the past three games, dropping his average from .350 to .342. … San Francisco pitchers Tomko and Jason Christiansen each dropped a popup. Tomko avoided an error by throwing to second for a forceout.

AP-ES-08-13-05 2141EDT


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