MIAMI -- Mike Lowell drove in two runs in his return from a tumour scare and Josh Beckett pitched seven scoreless innings last night as the Florida Marlins beat the Montreal Expos 4-1. Lowell, who had surgery in 1999 for testicular cancer, felt soreness in his groin the last three weeks and doctors told him Friday that a golf ball-sized mass above his left femur might be a tumour.
But the following day, specialists in Gainesville, Fla., determined it wasn't a tumour or cancerous but fibrous dysplasia, a benign condition of the bone.
In his first at-bat, Lowell singled home Juan Pierre. Lowell drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth and also doubled in the eighth.
Beckett (4-4) scattered seven singles. He struck out seven and walked one.
Ugueth Urbina pitched a scoreless eighth. The Expos scored in the ninth on Brad Wilkerson's triple and Wil Cordero's groundout.
Montreal starter Eric Knott (0-1) got off to a rocky start in the first inning when he gave up Lowell's RBI single and then walked Juan Encarnacion to load the bases with one out.
Knott was visited by pitching coach Randy St. Claire and Tim Drew started to warm up in the bullpen.
But Knott got Derrek Lee to line into a double play to end the inning and didn't permit another run until giving up three straight singles to start the sixth.
Pierre singled to open the sixth and Luis Castillo followed with a bunt single. The Expos appeared to be caught off-guard when Ivan Rodriguez bunted for a single as Knott couldn't pick up the ball near the third-base line.
That loaded the bases for Lowell, who walked. Drew relieved and Encarnacion hit a sacrifice fly.
Todd Hollandsworth pinch-hit for Beckett in the seventh inning and tripled.
Pierre's bloop single to centre field made it 4-0.
A pair of hitting streaks ended for Expos players. Jose Vidro was 0-for-2 with a walk and a sacrifice bunt to snap his 13-game string and Orlando Cabrera was 0-for-4 to end his 15-game streak.
Expos outfielder Vladimir Guerrero had two singles in his first game back from the disabled list. Guerrero missed 39 games with a herniated disc. During his absence, the Expos were 17-22.
MARLINS 4
EXPOS 1
