MIAMI (AP) -- If Ryan Dempster had asked for a favor a little earlier, he might have gotten the win Saturday night in the Florida Marlins' 2-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

After being removed for a pinch hitter in the seventh inning with the Marlins trailing 1-0, Dempster turned to teammate Kevin Millar and instructed: "Do me a favor, Kevin. Hit me a home run, so I won't get a loss."

The following inning, with Toronto closer Billy Koch on the mound, Millar complied. One pitch after Mike Lowell tied it with his eighth home run of the year, Millar hit his seventh.

"I told him I'd try my hardest," Millar said. "Billy Koch is a premier closer. You just hope he gets it down in the strike zone and he hung a cutter or a slider. I was fortunate to get a good swing and it went out."

Braden Looper (1-1) pitched a perfect eighth in relief of Dempster, and Antonio Alfonseca finished for his 17th save in 19 chances.

Chris Carpenter, chased after three innings by Detroit in his previous start, allowed five hits in seven shutout innings.

"Carpenter throws 120 pitches and two pitches make the difference in the game," Toronto catcher Darren Fletcher said. "(Koch) tried to trick (Millar) by putting a slider down, but he didn't trick him. It was over the plate and the guy whacked it."

Koch (3-1) started the eighth and blew a save for the fourth time in 15 chances.

"Carp goes out there, pitches his butt off, throws a great game, and I come in and give it up for him," Koch said. "It's not good."

Florida's 33-18 record in interleague play in the best in the major leagues. The Marlins are 9-2 against Toronto, winning seven of the last eight matchups between the teams.

Dempster, a Canadian facing the Blue Jays for the first time in his career, allowed four hits in seven innings. In three games against baseball's two Canadian teams, he has a 1-0 record and a 2.49 ERA.

"Both starters were tremendous," Florida manager John Boles said. "Then in the eighth inning, boom and boom and Alfonseca came in and closed it."

Jose Cruz Jr.'s 14th home run, his first since May 7, put Toronto ahead in the second inning.

Florida loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth but Dempster and Luis Castillo hit into forceouts at the plate and Mark Kotsay hit an inning-ending grounder.

Game notes
Shannon Stewart of the Blue Jays has hit safely in 16 of his last 17 games. ... Castillo has reached in 36 of his 38 games this year and has hit safely in 19 of his last 22. ... Cliff Floyd of the Marlins has reached base in a career-best 31 straight games. ... Carpenter snapped a string of five straight starts in which he had allowed first-inning runs.