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Cubs and Marlins Tied 4-4 After 9 Innings

Posted on: Friday, 10 October 2003, 06:00 CDT

Marlins pinch-hitter Todd Hollandsworth delivered a two-out RBI single in the eighth, and Florida was tied 4-4 with the Chicago Cubs after nine innings in Game 3 of the NL championship series Friday night.

Hollandsworth, batting for Alex Gonzalez, hit a liner to left off reliever Joe Borowski. Miguel Cabrera, who singled to start the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice, scored easily.

Florida had a chance to win in the ninth, but Mike Mordecai flied out to center with the bases loaded.

The Marlins needed to rally after the Cubs took a 4-3 lead in the eighth on Randall Simon's two-run homer.

Simon, who entered an inning earlier, drove reliever Chad Fox's first pitch into the right-field seats with Tom Goodwin on third. Goodwin had a pinch-hit triple with one out.

The Marlins trailed the entire game before taking a 3-2 lead in the seventh on Ivan Rodriguez's RBI single off Kerry Wood.

Gonzalez singled to start the inning, then Mike Lowell walked. They advanced on Juan Pierre's sacrifice, and Gonzalez scored on Luis Castillo's groundout.

Rodriguez, who struck out twice against Wood, lined a single to right to score Lowell and put the Marlins ahead.

That ended Wood's night. The 24-year-old right-hander allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks in 6 2-3 innings. The hits and runs matched his combined totals in two division series games against the Braves.

He gave up two hits and two runs in 7 1-3 innings, leading the Cubs to a 4-2 victory in the opener. He allowed five hits and one run in eight innings in Game 5 in a 5-1 win that clinched the series.

Sammy Sosa had three hits and an RBI for the Cubs, but he also struck out twice.

Sosa homered in each of the first two games of the series, which was tied 1-1.

He hit a two-run homer off Brad Penny in Game 2 on Wednesday, putting the Cubs ahead 4-0 in the second inning. His two-run shot in the ninth off closer Ugueth Urbina tied the opener before the Marlins won in 11 innings.

Sosa's liner in the first inning Friday might have been a homer in comfy Wrigley Field, but it bounced hard off the wall at Pro Player Stadium - where a sellout crowd included several thousand Cubs fans.

Kenny Lofton, who singled to start the game and moved to second on Mark Grudzielanek's sacrifice, scored without a throw.

Florida starter Mark Redman was shaken up covering first base on Lofton's infield single. The left-hander sprinted to first when Lofton pulled a two-hopper toward first baseman Derrek Lee.

As Redman touched the base with his right foot, he landed awkwardly on his left foot and spun to the ground. Lofton might have collided with Redman crossing the base.

Redman was slow to rise, but after consulting with the team trainer and throwing several practice tosses, he stayed in the game.

The Cubs added a run in the second after loading the bases with one out. Eric Karros singled and advanced to third on consecutive walks. Karros then tagged and scored on Wood's short sacrifice fly to center.

Pierre, who has one of the weakest outfield arms in the league, didn't even make it close. His throw bounced off the pitcher's mound.

Redman settled down after the second, retiring 12 of the next 16 batters. Two reached on walks.

The Marlins cut the lead in half with a run in the second. Gonzalez, who entered the game 1-for-24 in the playoffs, doubled off the wall in left, scoring Cabrera from second.

Cabrera reached base on a broken-bat, bloop single. Jeff Conine singled to right with two outs, setting the table for Gonzalez.

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