Expos 8, Marlins 5

MIAMI – Terrmel Sledge hit his first career grand slam after Paul Lo Duca hit a two-run homer in his first at-bat for Florida to lead the Montreal Expos over the Marlins 8-5.

Lo Duca, acquired with two other players from the Dodgers on Friday, joined the Marlins in their dugout in the fifth inning and entered the game in the sixth as a pinch-hitter. He homered to put Florida ahead 5-4 and received a loud ovation from the fans. Lo Duca stayed in the game as the Marlins cacther.

In the seventh, the Expos loaded the bases against relievers Matt Perisho and Josias Manzanillo (3-3). Sledge hit Manzanillo’s first pitch over the wall in right to give the Expos an 8-5 lead. Earlier, Sledge ended an 0-for-21 slump with a single in the fourth.

Montreal won its fifth straight over Florida, which has now lost two in a row after sweeping a four-game series against the Phillies.

John Patterson pitched five innings for Montreal, allowing six hits and three runs – two earned.

Rocky Biddle (3-5) pitched one inning for the Expos. Chad Cordero relieved in the ninth with runners on first and second and no outs. He got Mike Lowell to ground into a double play and struck out Miguel Cabrera for his 11th save.

The Expos were without shortstop Orlando Cabrera, who was traded to the Red Sox earlier in the day. Alex Gonzalez, acquired by the Expos from the Cubs in the four-team trade, will join the Expos Tuesday in St. Louis.

Outfielder Juan Encarnacion and reliever Guillermo Mota also joined the Marlins in the fifth inning. The three former Dodgers took a cross-country flight together.

Lo Duca, pinch-hitting for Matt Treanor in the sixth, homered off Biddle. It came after Patterson issued a walk to Alex Gonzalez.

A.J. Burnett pitched six innings for the Marlins and allowed seven hits and four runs – three earned.

The Marlins, 9-0 losers on Friday, jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Luis Castillo walked, Lowell followed with a single and Jeff Conine drove them in with a two-out double to right.

The Expos scored a run in the third on Brad Wilkerson’s RBI single.

Montreal scored three times in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead.

Wilkerson drew a one-out walk, and Endy Chavez singled. Jose Vidro lined a single to right that went through the legs of Cabrera and rolled to the wall for a two-base error, allowing both Wilkerson and Chavez to score. Vidro scored on Tony Batista’s sacrifice fly.

Florida pulled to 4-3 in the fifth, scoring an unearned run on Cabrera’s two-out double. It scored Luis Castillo, who reached on Batista’s fielding error at third.

Notes: Lo Duca becomes the sixth All-Star catcher to play for Florida, following Benito Santiago, Charles Johnson, Darren Daulton, Mike Piazza and Ivan Rodriguez. … Patterson, who missed nearly three months with a groin strain, hasn’t won since April 10. … Lo Duca’s homer was his first as a pinch-hitter.

AP-ES-07-31-04 2159EDT