Marlins 7, Brewers 2

5/8/2008 10:38 PM

By STEVEN WINE
AP Sports Writer

MIAMI (AP) -Bad news for the Florida Marlins: If they play Milwaukee again, it won't be until the postseason.

And at the moment, the Brewers don't look like playoff contenders.

Matt Treanor hit a three-run homer and first-place Florida completed a three-game sweep Thursday night by beating Milwaukee 7-2.

The Brewers lost their sixth game in a row, their longest losing streak this year. They finished 1-5 in the season series against Florida, scoring a total of 10 runs.

``We did a nice job pitching to them,'' Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. ``And also, they're not swinging the bat. That lineup over there could get hot at any time.''

The Brewers had nine hits, giving them 16 in the three-game series, but they stranded 11 runners against four Florida pitchers.

``We're just not playing very well right now,'' manager Ned Yost said. ``We're not swinging the bats anywhere near what we're capable of doing.''

Treanor achieved a career high in RBIs with one swing, and Jorge Cantu also homered for the surprising Marlins. They won their fourth game in a row and matched their best start after 34 games (20-14).

``We don't talk about, `Hey, we're six games over. We're in first place,''' Treanor said. ``Everybody's just in this really nice state of mind. We come to the ballpark and our goal is to play quality baseball, and the wins and losses will take care of themselves.''

Mark Hendrickson required 109 pitches to get through 4 1-3 innings but allowed only one run. Logan Kensing (1-0) retired all eight batters he faced, striking out four. Luis Gonzalez went 3-for-3 with a walk and finished the series 7-for-11.

The Marlins, who have by far the smallest payroll in the majors, haven't been in first place this late since 2002.

``The big thing for us is don't get complacent,'' Hendrickson said. ``Sometimes with a young team, that may settle in. But hopefully we can keep these guys hungry, because right now we're doing things right. We just need to keep it going.''

Carlos Villanueva (1-4) allowed seven runs in five innings to remain winless since his first start of the season April 4. His ERA rose to 6.46.

``I didn't feel bad,'' he said. ``I don't think I should look at the scoreboard tonight and watch me give up seven runs. I don't feel like I pitched that way. But that's the way its going right now.''

Trailing 3-1, Villanueva was a strike from retiring the side in order in the fifth, then gave up four runs. Dan Uggla walked on a 3-2 pitch, Gonzalez reached on an infield single, Wes Helms singled home a run and Treanor hit a three-run homer off the foul-pole screen, his first.

The game took 3 hours, 19 minutes, largely because Hendrickson struggled. Milwaukee stranded nine runners in the first five innings.

``I apologize to everybody for the pace of play,'' Hendrickson said. ``That was a long game. I wasn't trying to make it long.

``I've never really had an outing like that. Nothing was working. I was trying anything and everything, and it was a struggle. But to get out of with them scoring only one run, I'm going to take that as a positive.''

Villanueva had an RBI single in the fourth, and Mike Rivera singled home a run in the eighth. That was as much offense as the Brewers could muster, and they finished a three-city trip with a 2-7 record.

Returning to Milwaukee after playing before Miami's small crowds should help spark a turnaround, center fielder Mike Cameron said.

``Just a little bit more added energy from your home people, instead of people chastising you all the time, when they've only got like 27 people in the stands,'' he said. ``It'll be good.''

Notes: Attendance was a palindromic 12,321. ... Marlins 1B Mike Jacobs (tight quadriceps) sat out but was available to pinch hit. ... Brewers 1B Prince Fielder and RF Corey Hart were held out of the starting lineup for the first time this season. Yost said he wanted them fresh with a weekend series against St. Louis coming up. ... Milwaukee's Craig Counsell received a warm ovation when he pinch-hit in the sixth. Counsell scored the winning run for Florida in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series.