Marlins Hand Brewers 8th Straight Loss

Friday, September 1st 2006, 10:25 pm

By: News On 6

MILWAUKEE (AP) _ Rookie Anibal Sanchez pitched seven strong innings and Cody Ross hit a two-run home run to help the Florida Marlins beat Milwaukee 3-2 on Friday night, handing the Brewers their eighth straight loss.

Sanchez (6-2) gave up just one run and five hits for Florida, while striking out a career-high seven. He retired the first 11 batters he faced, including four on strikeouts, before Prince Fielder hit a broken bat single in the fourth inning.

Taylor Tankersley pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Joe Borowski gave up a solo homer to Laynce Nix before getting the final three outs for his 32nd save in 36 chances. It was his first homer of the season.

Chris Capuano (11-9) pitched seven innings for the Brewers and suffered his fifth loss in six decisions since he made the National League All-Star team. He gave up three runs and five hits, while striking out seven.

Milwaukee was 0-7 on a road trip to Florida and Houston. The Marlins swept the Brewers in a four-game series last weekend. The eight-game losing streak matches the Brewers worst this season set from May 28-June 4.

With the score tied 1-1, Wes Helms doubled with one out in the seventh inning and advanced to third on a wild pitch. One out later, Ross, who came into the game with just two hits in his last 18 at-bats, hit a 2-1 pitch over the leftfield wall for his ninth home run of the season.

The Brewers threatened in the bottom of the seventh. After Damian Miller walked with two outs, pinch hitter Geoff Jenkins singled. But Sanchez struck out Corey Hart on a 3-2 pitch.

Helm's sacrifice fly in the fourth inning gave the Marlins a 1-0 lead.

The Brewers tied the score at 1-1 in sixth inning. Hart doubled with one out, the first runner to reach second base against Sanchez. Tony Graffanino followed with a flyball down the right field lane. Ross tried to make a sliding catch, but the ball got by him and Hart scored. Graffanino ended up at third with a triple.

Notes: Capuano picked Sanchez off first base after the Florida pitcher singled in the third inning. It was Capuano's sixth pick off of the season. ... 3B Miguel Cabrera was back in the starting lineup after missing Thursday's game when he was drilled just above the elbow by a Jason Marquis fastball in the third inning of Wednesday's 13-6 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Cabrera was 0-for-4 ... Helms hit a double and sacrifice fly in his first trip to Miller Park since he left Brewers as a free agent following the 2005 season. ... Nix's last homer came on July 1, 2005 at Seattle.