Marlins' Lowell delivers knockout

Pinch-hitter Mike Lowell's homer leading off the 11th lifted Florida past Cubs.
CHICAGO (AP) -- Game 1 in the NL championship series reminded Mike Lowell of a boxing match, and he delivered the knockout blow.
The Chicago Cubs scored four in the first inning. The Florida Marlins answered with five in the third. The Cubs' Sammy Sosa made it 8-all by hitting the first postseason home run of his career with two out in the ninth.
Those were just the preliminaries. Lowell, an All-Star coming off the bench, homered leading off the 11th to give the Marlins their latest in a series of dramatic playoff wins, 9-8.
As Lowell rounded the bases after his pinch-hit homer, fist aloft in triumph, the Cubs had to wonder: What was he doing on the bench in the first place?
Broke his hand
Lowell broke his left hand Aug. 30 and was on the disabled list until the final day of the regular season. With rookie Miguel Cabrera playing well, manager Jack McKeon has been reluctant to rush Lowell back into the lineup, even though he led Florida this season with 32 homers and 105 RBIs.
As it turned out, Florida's new sub came in handy. Pinch-hitting for the first time this season, Lowell hit a 'splitter' from Mark Guthrie over the head of center fielder Kenny Lofton and into the basket near the 400-foot sign.
"I think I proved that I'm healthy," Lowell said. "I knew I hit it well. I was looking at Lofton and thought he had a bead on it. Then when I saw him kind of time his jump -- unless he's Superman, he can't jump over that basket."
The Marlins scored the eventual winning run in their final at-bat for the third consecutive game, all one-run playoff victories.
Rodriguez has 5 RBIs
Lowell wasn't the only standout. Ivan Rodriguez drove in five runs, including three with a homer and two more with a single that put Florida ahead 8-6 in the ninth. Josh Beckett recovered from a rocky first inning and several defensive lapses to pitch 61/3 innings. Recently demoted closer Braden Looper pitched a perfect 11th for his first save since Sept. 9.
Lowell merely became the newest contributor to the Marlins' improbable playoff run.
He started only one of their four games in the division series against San Francisco, and Cabrera might not be leaving the lineup anytime soon. He had four hits and three RBIs in the final game against the Giants, and hit a solo homer in the third inning Tuesday.
Lowell has praised Cabrera and declined to complain about being relegated to backup duty.
"It's awkward, but we're playing so good," Lowell said. "I've said from day one -- I don't want to be a distraction for the team."
Appreciate his attitude
McKeon and the rest of the Marlins appreciate Lowell's attitude, and after circling the bases he returned to a jubilant dugout.
"It couldn't have happened to a greater guy," McKeon said. "Mike has been hurt, and Cabrera has done a terrific job. It has been tough to get Mike at-bats, but he has handled it like a pro. He's a team player. He understands the situation.
"I'm happy to see him deliver the winning blow and make him feel like he's part of this thing, too."
The homer came in Lowell's eighth at-bat since breaking his hand, and it was his second career homer as a pinch-hitter.
"I'm not used to the pinch-hitting thing," Lowell said. "I was just trying to stay loose from the seventh inning on with dry swings and running up and down the steps. I was ready for the at-bat."
Fans at Wrigley Field know all about Lowell. He was rumored to be on the trading block in June, with the Cubs mentioned as a potential destination. One bar near the ballpark even put up a sign urging such a deal.
But the Marlins took Lowell off the market July 1, a move Florida players cite as a morale boost contributing to their mid-season turnaround.
"Mike Lowell," Beckett said, "is such a huge part of this team."