BALTIMORE -- A consummate team player, Dontrelle Willis achieved a franchise milestone on the same night the upstart-club matched history.

 

Bolstered by a three-home run attack, Willis worked 8 2/3 innings and the Marlins rolled to a 6-2 win over the Orioles on Tuesday night at Camden Yards.

 

For the D-Train (4-6), it was career win No. 50, moving him past A.J. Burnett on the Marlins' all-time victory list. As a team, the Marlins extended their winning streak to nine games, equaling the club record set twice before, most recently from Aug. 27-Sept. 9, 2004. The red-hot Marlins have now won 19 of their last 25.

 

Dan Uggla, Matt Treanor and Alfredo Amezaga each homered in the Marlins' 11-hit attack. Joe Borowski recorded the final out in the ninth, with two Orioles on, to gain his 12th save.

 

"It's everyone contributing," Marlins manager Joe Girardi said. "If you're going to get long winning streaks, or play for a while, everyone has to contribute. It just can't always be the same guys.

 

"We're getting contributions from all different guys, whether it's starters, bullpen, hitters who hit at the bottom of the order -- everybody is contributing."

 

The young Marlins have become one of the great underdog stories in the league. On May 21, their record was 11-31. Now, they are 30-37 in a season where 19 rookies have suited up.

 

At 24, Willis is one of the veterans. And he's starting to become the dominant force he's been in the past. By winning his third straight decision, his record improved to 4-6.

 

Willis says the team has been motivated by the skeptics who have predicted a 100-loss season.

 

"We're definitely going out there and riding high and staying motivated, and not being relaxed," Willis said. "Skip and the coaching staff continue to make us go out and work hard, whether we've won nine straight or lost nine straight. We have the same attitude."

 

The Marlins wore down Daniel Cabrera (4-4), who allowed six runs on eight hits despite striking out nine. The right-hander yielded a career-high three home runs before exiting after 5 2/3 innings and 117 pitches.

 

Uggla's 13th homer of the season gave the Marlins a first-inning lead. In a nine-pitch at-bat, and after fouling off three straight pitches with the count full, the rookie second baseman smashed a 383-foot shot to left.

 

In the third inning, the Marlins again made Cabrera work. Hanley Ramirez led off with a double in a 10-pitch at-bat, and he went to third on Uggla's groundout to short, setting up Mike Jacobs' RBI double to right. A wild pitch and Cody Ross' sacrifice fly to center made it 3-0.

 

Stringing together quality at-bats, the Marlins ran up Cabrera's pitch count to 74 through three innings.

 

With two outs in the fourth inning, Treanor experienced a first. After going 266 career at-bats without a home run, he went deep on No. 267 (and 78th this season). It was the longest stretch without a Major League homer by any active non-pitcher. Called up in 2004, Treanor ended his drought in his 118th game. The drive to left off Cabrera was estimated at 380 feet.

 

interleague 2006

Complete coverage >

 

"Personally, I won't say it's a relief, because I guess I've given up on trying to drive balls out of the ballpark," said Treanor, who is primarily a defensive specialist and has been working behind the plate when Willis starts. "I have a lot more on my mind offensively. In my first at-bat, I left two guys on. I was kicking myself after that.

 

"We had seen this guy [Cabrera] in Spring Training. He has a great fastball. I was just able to get the head of the bat out there, and took my little trot."

 

Actually, Treanor sprinted around the bases, mindful not to appear he was showing anyone up.

 

Amezaga's two-run homer in the sixth inning scored Jeremy Hermida, who doubled.

 

Some stellar defense assisted Willis. Primarily, two outfield assists halted potentially big Baltimore innings. In the fourth inning, with no outs, Melvin Mora tried going from first to third on Miguel Tejada's single to center. But he was thrown out by Amezaga. And in the fifth inning, Corey Patterson was trying to leg out a double, but Hermida in right threw a perfect strike to second, nabbing the Orioles' center fielder.

 

In his next at-bat, Patterson left no doubt about an extra-base hit, crushing a two-run homer.

 

A scary moment occurred with two outs in the sixth inning when a Willis fastball struck Mora on the left knee. After remaining still on the ground for several minutes, the third baseman was assisted off the field. X-rays came back negative, and Mora is day-to-day with a contusion.

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/gameday...t=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Who is skip????

Who is skip????

 

It's short for Skipper, as in "manager." So it'd be Joey G.

I just heard ESPN talking about our streak in their "Let Talk About The Marlins Less Then 10 Seconds" show and they said this is a "minor" miracle. I kinda laugh that off.

I like the quote that poptart posted ...

"They've got a lot of young guys with something to prove. I'm glad we're not a National League team. They're a team on a mission and that's a dangerous thing."-Blue Jays manager, John Gibbons

See... now everyone is goin' to start makin' some noise about the Marlins. I was so excited when I started hearing the radio stations over on this coast talk more about the Marlins and positive at that.

Has anyone else been catchin' the clips they've been broadcasting of Uggla on ESPN. This is an exciting time... I'm so proud of the boys!!!