By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Friday's game

MIAMI - Give Ken Griffey Jr. a save and a win. Griffey kept the Reds from losing in regulation with a home run to lead off the ninth inning. Then he hit a two-out shot in the 11th to provide the margin of victory in the Reds' 4-3 victory over the Florida Marlins Friday night before a crowd of 17,385 at Pro Player Stadium.

It was the 48th time Griffey has hit two or more home runs in a game. But he doesn't remember game-tying and game-winning shots in the same night.

"Not in consecutive at-bats," he said. "I might have done it early in the game and late. But I don't remember."

The 819 feet of home runs broke the Marlins' three-game winning streak against the Reds.

Gabe White worked a perfect 1 1/3 innings for the win. Scott Williamson got the final two outs for his 12th save.

The Reds snapped a two-game losing streak and won for only the second time in eight games.

"Big," White said. "Late in the game, you've got to match them. It's always harder on the road. That's a big win for us."

Griffey has five home runs since returning from the disabled list May 13 - four are against the Marlins.

Griffey pointed into the stands after the second one.

"Some friends of mine from Miami," he said. "They help me out."

How?

"They keep me focused," Griffey said.

The friends were actually hecklers.

Starter Paul Wilson gave the Reds a solid start, going seven innings and allowing two runs on five hits. He walked only one and struck out five.

The Reds are now 14-3 when they get a quality start (six innings or more, three runs or fewer).

"That was more than quality - it was terrific," Reds manager Bob Boone said.

Wilson has gone seven innings in back-to-back starts. He has walked only three in his last four starts.

"I had a really good changeup tonight," Wilson said. "I tried to challenge them in the strike zone with the fastball."

Florida left-hander Mark Redman, making his first start after spending four weeks on the disabled list with a fractured throwing thumb, was just as good. He allowed two runs on four hits, walked two and struck out seven.

The Reds took a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Griffey hit a routine fly ball to right, which former Red Juan Encarnacion lost in the night sky. Griffey slid into second with a gift double.

Austin Kearns' single brought Griffey home. Kearns eventually scored on Jason LaRue's groundout.

In the fifth, Derrek Lee and Encarnacion singled. After Todd Hollandsworth popped out, Alex Gonzalez hit one hit high off the wall in left for a double. Lee and Encarnacion scored to tie it at 2.

Kent Mercker took over for Wilson and allowed a double to Hollandsworth to lead off the Marlins eighth. Mercker fielded Gonzalez's sacrifice and threw 2 feet over first baseman Sean Casey's glove. The ball went in right field, allowing Hollandsworth to score the go-ahead run.

"When Merk threw that away, we were sitting in the 'pen saying, 'We're going to tie it,' " White said. "And, bam! It was tied."

In the top of the ninth, Griffey crushed Braden Looper's 96 mph fastball to dead center - a 417-foot shot. Looper had pitched in 51 straight games without allowing a homer.

"Junior's got two swings," Boone said. "A long one and that one - short and direct. That's the swing we saw all spring training."

The game stayed tied until Griffey's 402-foot shot to right in the 11th off Armando Almanza.

"Things happen," Griffey said. "I was fortunate to capitalize on two pitches."

It was good for a save and a win.

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E-mail jfay@enquirer.com

Cincinnati	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
FLopez ss	4	0	0	0	1	2	.223
Casey 1b	5	0	0	0	0	0	.287
Griffey Jr. cf	5	3	3	2	0	2	.281
Kearns rf	5	1	1	1	0	1	.295
ABoone 3b	4	0	1	0	0	2	.256
Dunn lf	3	0	0	0	1	1	.218
LaRue c	4	0	0	1	0	1	.234
JCastro 2b	4	0	1	0	0	0	.245
PWilson p	2	0	0	0	0	2	.000
Taylor ph	1	0	0	0	0	0	.234
Mercker p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Sullivan p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Branyan ph	1	0	0	0	0	1	.000
GWhite p	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Williamson p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Totals	38	4	6	4	2	12

Florida	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	Avg.
Pierre cf	5	0	1	0	0	1	.300
LCastillo 2b	5	0	0	0	0	0	.326
IRodriguez c	5	0	0	0	0	4	.239
Lowell 3b	4	0	1	0	0	0	.297
DeLee 1b	2	1	1	0	2	1	.255
JEncarnacion rf	4	1	1	0	0	1	.278
Hollandsworth lf	4	1	1	0	0	0	.297
AGonzalez ss	3	0	1	2	0	1	.322
MRedman p	2	0	0	0	0	1	.000
Spooneybarger p	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Mordecai ph	0	0	0	0	0	0	.171
Looper p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
RCastro ph	1	0	0	0	0	0	.269
Almanza p	0	0	0	0	0	0	---
Totals	35	3	6	2	2	9

Cincinnati	000	200	001	01	-4	6	1
Florida	000	020	010	00	-3	6	0

E-Mercker (1). LOB-Cincinnati 3, Florida 3. 2B-Griffey Jr. (6), JCastro (2), Hollandsworth (20), AGonzalez (15). HR-Griffey Jr. 2 (6), off Almanza, Looper. RBIs-Griffey Jr. 2 (10), Kearns (47), LaRue (15), AGonzalez 2 (34). CS-LCastillo (7). S-AGonzalez, Mordecai. GIDP-Casey, JEncarnacion 2.

Runners left in scoring position-Cincinnati 2 (Casey, JCastro); Florida 2 (LCastillo, MRedman).

Runners moved up-Dunn, LaRue.

DP-Cincinnati 2 (ABoone, JCastro and Casey), (FLopez, JCastro and Casey); Florida 1 (DeLee, AGonzalez and DeLee).

Cincinnati	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
PWilson	7	5	2	2	1	5	91	4.80
Mercker	1	1	1	1	0	0	11	2.61
Sullivan	1	0	0	0	1	2	17	4.82
GWhite W, 3-0	1 1/3	0	0	0	0	1	12	2.42
Williamson S, 12	2/3	0	0	0	0	1	8	3.68

Florida	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	NP	ERA
MRedman	6	4	2	2	2	7	97	2.76
Spooneybarger	2	0	0	0	0	2	22	3.50
Looper BS, 2	2	1	1	1	0	3	34	2.87
Almanza L, 3-4	1	1	1	1	0	0	9	5.53

Umpires-Home, Sam Holbrook; First, Paul Schrieber; Second, Angel Hernandez; Third, Randy Marsh.

T-3:00. A-17,385 (36,331).