By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Saturday's game

MIAMI - Was Gabe White surprised when Reds manager Bob Boone had him start the ninth inning Friday night? "Shocked," White said.

White retired Juan Pierre, then gave way to Scott Williamson, who got Luis Castillo and Ivan Rodriguez to end the game.

Normally, White would have been done after the eighth, and Williamson would have started the ninth.

White vs. Pierre gave the Reds a left-on-left matchup.

"But why Pierre and not (switch-hitter) Castillo?" White said. "Skip always surprises me. That's cool. You never get comfortable."

Boone didn't set out to change the closer role by doing what he did. He wanted the left-hander vs. left-hander matchup.

"Pierre doesn't hit left-handers as well," Boone said. "I didn't want to walk him. I knew Gabe wouldn't. I wasn't sure with Willie. I want to make Pierre hit the ball."

A walk by Williamson to Pierre is as good as a triple. Pierre led the majors with 21 stolen bases entering Saturday.

Williamson didn't take the move as a slight.

"I still have a job to do," he said. "With a speed guy, you want a left-hander. Gabe did the job."

White has been the Reds' best pitcher lately. He had allowed only one run over his last 10 appearances. White's most impressive stat: He has entered five games with the bases loaded and allowed only one of the 15 runners to score.

The key to his success?

"I don't even want to try to explain it," White said. "I'm not going to try to explain it."

White's theory is talking about success is a way of jinxing it.

MORE WILLIE: Williamson threw only six pitches to get his 12th save Friday.

He says, honestly, he's trying to do that all the time.

"I try to get them to hit the ball," Williamson said. "But it doesn't always work out that way."

Williamson has converted 12 of 13 saves. Anyone would take a 92.3 percent conversion rate, but Williamson's saves haven't come easily. He had walked 14 in 22 innings going into Saturday. But he had avoided trouble by striking out 27 and limiting opponents to a .205 batting average.

Boone said Williamson has to get more consistent to get to the next level of closer.

"The elite guys just pump strikes," Boone said, "and hit spots all the time."

DUNN OUT: Jose Guillen started Saturday's game with left-hander Dontrelle Willis starting for the Marlins.

"I gave the other two (Sean Casey and Ken Griffey Jr.) the day off the last time (Willis started)," Boone said. "I figured I'd give them a crack at him this time."

Boone said this is not the beginning of a Dunn-Guillen platoon. Guillen hits left- and right-handers about the same. He was hitting .343 vs. left-handers and .340 vs. right-handers going into Saturday.

Dunn actually was hitting better against left-handers - .245 to .207.

There's another factor, Boone said.

"I like to have Guillen sitting over there on the bench against real tough left-handers because it gives me a good right-handed pinch-hitter," Boone said.

FARM REPORT: Louisville beat Syracuse 4-3 Friday to extend its franchise-record win streak to 12 games. Jimmy Anderson went seven innings, allowing three runs on seven hits to raise his record to 4-1.

UP NEXT: The Reds wrap up the road trip and the season series with the Marlins with a 1:35 p.m. game today. Right-hander John Riedling (0-2, 4.64 ERA) faces right-hander Carl Pavano (4-5, 3.63).