By BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer
SAN DIEGO(AP)
The Florida Marlins have been hard to beat since
the All-Star break.
Ricky Nolasco took a two-hitter into the ninth inning, Dan Uggla
hit his 144th home run to become Florida's franchise leader and
Mike Stanton also homered to lead the Marlins to a 6-3 win over
the NL West-leading San Diego Padres on Saturday night.
Florida won for the 13th time in 19 games and is 11-5 since the
All-Star break.
"If we start to play like we did earlier in the year, then
obviously we probably won't be in it in September," Uggla said.
"If we keep doing what we're doing right now, we've got a shot."
The Marlins are tied with the New York Mets for third in the NL
East, 6 1/2 games behind Atlanta.
"The mood around here is good," Nolasco said. "Nobody's giving
up, obviously."
The Marlins even made a move before the trade deadline,
obtaining left-handed reliever Will Ohman from Baltimore for
right-hander Rick VandenHurk.
The Padres' lead in the NL West is down to 1 1/2 games over the
San Francisco Giants, who beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1. It's
the Padres' slimmest lead since July 10, when they were one game
up on Colorado.
With the Marlins leading 6-1, Nolasco (12-7) was two outs from
his second complete game of the season and fifth of his career
before allowing Jerry Hairston Jr.'s single to center followed
by Chase Headley's ground-rule double down the left-field line.
Manager Edwin Rodriguez came out for a mound visit and left
Nolasco in. Adrian Gonzalez then hit a two-run single to right,
chasing Nolasco and bringing on Leo Nunez.
Miguel Tejada followed with a single to center for his first hit
with the Padres. Tejada was forced on Nick Hundley's grounder
and Nunez retired Will Venable on a grounder to get his 26th
save in 31 chances.
"I got in a little groove and the offense did a great job
putting those runs up," Nolasco said. "I was throwing the ball
pretty well for a while. That makes it a little easier. It was a
little frustrating there in the last inning, but what are you
going to do?"
Nolasco held the Padres hitless until Scott Hairston led off the
sixth with a homer to left, his 10th. The right-hander faced one
over the minimum through seven innings. Nolasco's only walk was
in the first to Headley, who was erased on an inning-ending
double play. He struck out seven.
"He was getting his breaking ball over for strikes. He was
getting ahead of us," Hairston said. "His fastball had a little
run to it. He was working at his tempo. He didn't make too many
mistakes."
The Marlins have hit four home runs in two nights at spacious
Petco Park, and 12 in six games on their swing through San
Francisco and San Diego. They have 20 in 16 games since the
break. Cody Ross and Gaby Sanchez homered in the Marlins' 4-2
win Friday night.
Uggla, in his fifth big league season, had been tied with Mike
Lowell for the franchise home run lead before hitting a solo
shot into the second deck in left-center with one out in the
sixth for a 3-0 lead. It was his 23rd. He has seven homers in
his last nine games.
"It's an awesome thing," said Uggla, who thanked owner Jeffrey
Loria and the front office for keeping him around. "It's a
special thing and I'm going to enjoy it tonight."
Rodriguez said everyone in the dugout was aware of the franchise
record.
"He's been a big part of this organization, so good for him,"
the manager said.
With Uggla aboard on a leadoff walk in the second, Stanton
homered with one out, also into the second deck. It was his
ninth.
Both came off Kevin Correia (7-7). Correia allowed three runs
and four hits in six innings, struck out four and walked four.
"Two bad pitches to two guys with a lot of power," Correia said.
"Off-speed pitches that stayed up. Those aren't two guys to miss
to."
Hanley Ramirez singled with one out in the seventh and scored
when left fielder Scott Hairston committed two errors on Logan
Morrison's fly ball. Sanchez hit a two-run single in the ninth.
NOTES: The Padres acquired OF Ryan Ludwick from the St. Louis
Cardinals in a three-team trade. Manager Bud Black said Ludwick
will start in Sunday's series finale. ... The Marlins will send
RHP Alex Sanabia down to Triple-A to make room for Ohman. ...
Padres 2B David Eckstein, on the disabled list since July 21
with a strained right calf, said there's "still something in
there" and that he and the team will be cautious to make sure
there are no setbacks.
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