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Cards Only Wish He Had All Day Off

Associated Press

National League

Jeff Conine took off most of the day, then took a jog around the bases.

Conine hit the first pinch-hit homer of his career, a solo blow with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Florida Marlins beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1 Thursday in Miami.

“I wish I could end every day off the same way,” Conine said. “To hit a game-winning homer in the ninth, that’s the best.”

Marlins manager Jim Leyland rested Conine and three other regulars for the day game following a night game. The rest was timely for Conine, who woke up feeling ill Thursday.

“This morning I was thinking more about running to the bathroom than to first base,” he said.

Pirates 3, Reds 2

Pittsburgh

Jermaine Allensworth grounded a three-run double down the left-field line in the fifth inning and Pittsburgh ran Cincinnati’s road losing streak to eight.

Esteban Loaiza (2-0) shook off winter-like weather and a run-scoring triple by pitcher Mike Morgan (0-1). Loaiza limited the Reds to six hits in seven innings in his third consecutive effective start.

The temperature dropped to 34 by the ninth inning, light snow fell briefly and wind gusts lowered the wind-chill reading into the low 20s. Reds second baseman Bret Boone wore a ski mask in the field and stadium vendors passed out free hot chocolate to the estimated 2,000 fans.

The paid attendance was 6,039, but many of those skipped the game because of the weather and the Pittsburgh Penguins’ first-round NHL playoff game.

Expos, Phillies, ppd.

Philadelphia

The scheduled game between Montreal and Philadelphia was rained out and will be made up as part of a doubleheader Sunday.

Clearing the bases

Florida’s Gary Sheffield was hit by a pitch for the fourth time this season in the first inning. He exchanged words with Todd Stottlemyre before walking to first base. … Gary Gaetti went 0 for 3 against Florida’s Kevin Brown, dropping his lifetime average versus the right-hander to .147 (5-for-34). … Cincinnati’s road losing streak is its longest since a nine-game skid in 1993.