NATIONAL LEAGUE Marlins' Willis foils Reds, hits first home run

Since being added to the rotation earlier this month, Dontrelle Willis is now 3-1 in five starts.
MIAMI (AP) -- Dontrelle Willis pitched seven strong innings and hit his first major league home run, leading the Florida Marlins over the slumping Cincinnati Reds 3-2 Saturday night.
Willis (3-1) allowed one run and five hits while striking out eight.
Willis also came through at the plate, delivering a solo home run to snap a 1-1 tie in the fifth.
The Marlins snapped a two-game losing skid and have won seven of nine. The Reds have lost seven of nine.
Willis improved to 3-1 in five starts since being added to the rotation earlier this month. He continued a trend of impressive outings by Marlins' starters -- in their last nine games, they have allowed just nine runs in 58 2-3 innings (1.53 ERA).
Looper gets save
Braden Looper, who blew a save chance Friday night, pitched the ninth for his ninth save.
The Reds took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Aaron Boone led off with a triple and scored on Sean Casey's single. Jason LaRue followed with a double, but Willis struck out the next three batters.
Florida tied it in the third. Juan Pierre drew a leadoff walk, stole second and advanced to third on LaRue's throwing error. Ivan Rodriguez, who struck out four times on Friday, delivered an RBI single.
Willis opened the fifth with a home run off Danny Graves (3-4) on the first pitch, putting the Marlins ahead 2-1.
Florida added a run in the seventh. Alex Gonzalez led off with a double, went to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a squeeze bunt by Pierre.
The Reds closed to 3-2 in the eighth on Ken Griffey Jr.'s RBI groundout off Tim Spooneybarger.
Griffey, who hit two home runs and a double in Friday night's 4-3, 11-inning victory, struck out twice and doubled.
Notes
Reds starters have gone 15 straight games without a victory. The last win by a starter was Graves' 4-0 shutout at St. Louis on May 14. During the stretch, the starters are 0-7 with seven no-decisions. ... Marlins 3B Mike Lowell went 0-for-4, ending his nine-game hitting streak. ... Marlins RF Juan Encarnacion misplayed a ball for the second straight game. On Friday, Encarnacion lost a ball in the shadows, and it went for a double for Griffey. On Saturday, Encarnacion couldn't find the ball in the sun, and it went for a ground-rule double for LaRue. ... Willis has at least seven strikeouts in four of his five big-league starts. ... Willis' two hits this year are a double and home run.
CINCINNATIFLORIDA
abrhbiabrhbi
FLopez ss4000Pierre cf2101
JGillen lf3110LCstillo 2b4010
Grf Jr. cf4011IRdrgz c3021
Kearns rf3000Lowell 3b4000
ABoone 3b4110DeLee 1b4000
Casey 1b3011JEcrcn rf4030
LaRue c3020Hlndsw lf4010
Dunn ph0000AGnzlz ss2110
JCastro 2b3000Willis p2111
Brnyan ph1000Mrdcai ph0000
Graves p3000Spnybr p0000
Merckr p0000Looper p0000
Totals31262Totals29393
Cincinnati010000010--2
Florida00101010x--3
E--LaRue (2), Willis (2). DP--Cincinnati 2, Florida 2. LOB--Cincinnati 6, Florida 7. 2B--JGuillen (8), Griffey Jr. (7), LaRue (10), LCastillo (5), JEncarnacion (11), Hollandsworth (21), AGonzalez (16). 3B--ABoone (2), JEncarnacion (4). HR--Willis (1). SB--Pierre (22). S--Pierre, Mordecai.
IPHRERBBSO
Cincinnati
Graves L,3-47 2-393330
Mercker1-300000
Florida
Willis W,3-1751138
Spooneybarger111102
Looper S,9100010
WP--Spooneybarger. Umpires--Home, Paul Schrieber; First, Angel Hernandez; Second, Randy Marsh; Third, Sam Holbrook. T--2:22. A--16,190.