Marlins Edge Giants, 4-3, in 11 Innings

Ivan Rodriguez made the San Francisco Giants pay for their squandered opportunities and defensive blunder.

Rodriguez hit a two-run single with two outs in the 11th inning, and the Florida Marlins beat San Francisco 4-3 Friday to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five playoff series.

Edgardo Alfonzo’s RBI single in the top of the inning put San Francisco ahead 3-2, but right fielder Jose Cruz dropped a routine fly to start Florida’s comeback. The Giants stranded a record 18 runners, including at least one in scoring position in each of the final seven innings.

With the defending NL champion Giants on the brink of elimination, right-hander Jason Schmidt will probably start Saturday on three days’ rest. He threw a three-hit shutout to beat the Marlins in Game 1.

Rookie sensation Dontrelle Willis will pitch for Florida.

Rodriguez hit a two-run homer in the first inning, then the Marlins were shut out until Cruz gave them an opening to start the 11th. He drifted toward the foul line, tried to make a one-handed catch of Jeff Conine’s fly and dropped the ball.

Tim Worrell then walked Alex Gonzalez. Miguel Cabrera sacrificed and Juan Pierre was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Luis Castillo grounded back to Worrell, who made a terrific barehanded stop and forced Conine at the plate. But Rodriguez lined a 1-2 pitch for a hit to right field, and Cruz’s throw home was wide as Pierre slid across the plate headfirst with the winning run.

The Marlins poured out of the dugout to mob Rodriguez at first base as the crowd of 61,488 celebrated.

The Giants squandered chance after chance until the 11th, when Rich Aurilia led off with a walk against Braden Looper. Barry Bonds hit a sharp grounder to shortstop Alex Gonzalez, who mishandled the ball for the first error of the game, sending Aurilia to third.

Alfonzo then singled, giving San Francisco the lead and improving his average in the series to .615 (8-for-13). But the Giants missed a chance to add more runs when J.T. Snow hit an inning-ending groundout with the bases loaded.

The return of postseason baseball to Miami after a six-year absence drew the Marlins’ largest home crowd since Game 7 of the 1997 World Series. The boisterous fans twirled souvenir towels, creating a remarkable spectacle in a stadium where empty seats are the more customary sight.

One of the biggest roars came when Rodriguez homered in the first to put Florida ahead. Poor fielding by pitcher Mark Redman helped San Francisco rally to tie the game in the sixth.

The tense game was playoff hardball at its best. Rodriguez took out Neifi Perez at second base to break up a double play. Snow bowled over Derrek Lee beating out an infield hit.

The Marlins almost managed to neutralize Bonds, who went 1-for-4 with an infield single and two intentional walks. He’s 2-for-7 in the series with seven walks.

With two outs and none on in the ninth, Bonds was intentionally walked for the fifth time in the series. He went to third on a single by Alfonzo, but Ugueth Urbina got Yorvit Torrealba on a flyball.

Carl Pavano retired Marquis Grissom on a groundout with runners on first and second to end the 10th.

The Marlins’ little Luis Castillo barely missed a rare home run in the first inning when he doubled off the top of the high wall in left.

Rodriguez then pulled an 0-2 pitch for a homer estimated at 418 feet. He shook his fist as he circled the bases, then pointed at the jubilant, cheering crowd before he crossed the plate.

That’s all the damage Florida did against Kirk Rueter. He gave up only two other hits before leaving for a pinch-hitter after five innings.

The Giants’ rally in the sixth started when Bonds topped a grounder to the left of the mound. He beat it out for a 50-foot single when Redman was slow to make a play, and Alfonzo also singled.

Andres Galarraga then grounded back to Redman. Trying to start an easy double play, the pitcher threw wide of second base, but backing up the play was an alert Castillo, who caught the ball on one hop and threw to first to get Galarraga.

After Benito Santiago walked, Cruz hit another potential double-play grounder to Lowell, who threw to second for a forceout. Cruz barely beat Castillo’s relay, allowing Bonds to score.

Pinch-hitter Pedro Feliz followed with single, and the score was 2-all.

Otherwise Florida’s defense was typically stellar. Jeff Conine made a leaping catch at the left-field wall in the seventh to rob Aurilia of extra bases – and perhaps a homer. Two batters later, catcher Rodriguez backhanded a pitch in the dirt and threw out Grissom trying to steal third.

Redman pitched six innings and departed with the score 2-all. He retired Bonds twice after declaring before the game that the slugger was “just another guy up there with a bat.”

Bonds batted with two outs and a runner on first in each of his first two plate appearances. He grounded out to end the first inning and hit a 400-foot flyout to end the third.

Notes:@ Redman, who went 1-for-61 during the regular season, was 0-for-2. … The crowd was the third-largest for any division series game.