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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
MONTREAL (AP) -- Don't look now, but things are looking up for
the Florida Marlins.
Mark Smith hit two home runs and Reid Cornelius shut down
Montreal for eight innings, giving the Marlins a 2-1 win Sunday and
their first three-game sweep of the Expos.
The win, Florida's sixth in its last nine games, moved the
Marlins a half-game ahead of Montreal into third place in the NL
East.
"The third-place Florida Marlins -- Holy cow, that sounds
good!" Florida manager John Boles said.
Florida salvaged a 3-3 road trip, after being swept by the Mets
at Shea Stadium.
"I was really proud of our guys because we had such a tough
time in New York," Boles said. "And after getting swept in New
York, to win three in a row here means a lot."
The Marlins have won 12 of their last 17 games to reach the .500
mark at 41-41. Montreal has lost four in a row.
Cornelius (3-2), who made his major league debut with Montreal
in 1995, allowed four hits -- all in the first two innings. He set
down the last 15 batters he faced after Fernando Seguignol reached
on shortstop Andy Fox's error leading off the fourth.
"He knows how to pitch, he really does," Boles said. "When
he's got command like he had today, he's been huge for us."
Antonio Alfonseca pitched the ninth for his 25th save -- and
third straight -- in 28 opportunities.
Trailing 1-0 following Vladimir Guerrero's RBI single in the
first, Smith homered off Julio Santana (1-0) in the second and
again in the fifth. It was Smith's first multihomer game in the
majors.
"I just got some pitches to hit and took advantage of them,"
Smith said. "When I get an opportunity to play, I like to
contribute somehow, and I was able to do that today."
Montreal's Jose Vidro went 0-for-4 to end his career-best
hitting streak at 14 games.
"It was tough out there today, a lot of off-speed stuff,"
Vidro said. "He kept everybody off-balance and didn't throw a lot
of strikes."
Santana, making his first start in six appearances since he was
signed by the Expos as a free agent June 18, struck out a
career-high eight. He allowed two runs and four hits in five
innings.
"I'm happy that I got the opportunity to go out there and
start," Santana said. "I think things went well, in a way, and
things didn't go well, in a way."
Montreal fell one game below .500 for the first time since April
7. The Expos, 26-19 at Olympic Stadium, finished 4-8 for their
first losing homestand of the season.
"We couldn't get it going," Vidro said. "We're not playing
well right now. Nothing is going our way right now."
Game
notes
Cornelius was Montreal's 13th-round pick in the June 1988
draft. ... Marlins SS Alex Gonzalez missed his sixth straight start
because of an injured middle right finger. ... Vidro went 21-for-58
(.362) with five doubles, four homers and eight RBI over the
course of the streak, which began June 16.
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