Cashner implodes in 8th, Padres swept

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Andrew Cashner tried his hardest to get out Giancarlo Stanton.

But Stanton got the best of the matchup.

The Padres reliever walked the Marlins slugger with the bases loaded to force in the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning and the Miami Marlins beat the San Diego Padres 6-3 Sunday for their season-best sixth straight victory.

Cashner threw eight pitches in excess of 100 mph to Stanton, who had homered in the first two games of the series and four times in five games.

Stanton fouled off a 101-mph fastball with the count at 3-2 before Cashner missed high with another 101-mph pitch to force in a run and snap a 2-all tie.

"It was a good at-bat," Cashner said. "I was one pitch away from getting out of it and couldn't make the pitch. I was going at him with my best stuff and he is one of the best young guys in the game right now."

Said Padres manager Bud Black: "It was a great matchup. It was great theatre, there's no doubt about it."

Seven of the eight pitches to Stanton were 101 mph. The other was 102.

"If I'm going to get beat, I'm going to get beat with my fastball," Cashner said.

Jose Reyes led off the eighth against Cashner (2-2) with a single and Emilio Bonifacio reached on a bunt single. With one out, Logan Morrison was walked intentionally. Cashner then struck out Omar Infante, with the final two pitches hitting at least 101 mph on the radar gun, to bring up Stanton.

"I saw 102 (mph) but you can throw 120 and without command you are going to get hurt," Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen said. "It's all about command and making good pitches. It was a hell of an at-bat."

With Gaby Sanchez batting next, the Marlins scored another run when catcher John Baker was charged with a passed ball. Sanchez put Miami ahead 5-2 with an RBI single to chase Cashner before Stanton scored on another passed ball.

Ricky Nolasco (4-0) allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings to tie Dontrelle Willis for the club record with his 68th career win.

Edward Mujica pitched the ninth for his second save. It was the first time the Marlins have had a save opportunity since closer Heath Bell was demoted on Friday.

San Diego pitcher Joe Wieland helped himself when he hit a two-run double in the fifth to put the Padres ahead 2-0.

Miami came right back after Nolasco walked leading off the sixth. He went to second on Reyes' single, advanced on a flyout and scored on Hanley Ramirez's fielder's choice. Morrison tied the score at 2 with a triple to center, knocking Wieland out of the game.

Wieland allowed two runs and five hits over 5 2-3 innings and avoided becoming the first Padres pitcher to lose his first five career starts.

NOTES: Miami began its nine-game road trip with a sweep at San Francisco. ... The only other time the Marlins swept consecutive three-game series on the road came April 14-19, 2009, when the club won six straight at Atlanta and Washington. ... All of Bonifacio's 27 hits have been singles, including 11 infield singles. That ties Derek Jeter for the major league lead. ... After missing two starts with a sore right knee, Morrison was back in the starting lineup. ... Miami RHP Carlos Zambrano (0-2, 2.53 ERA) will start Monday night to open a three-game series at Houston against LHP Wandy Rodriguez (3-2, 1.64). ... Colorado LHP Drew Pomeranz (0-1, 4.05) will face San Diego's Edinson Volquez (0-2, 2.92) in the opener of a three-game series.