The Associated Press

Dontrelle Willis bounded off the mound with a gangly gait, all arms, legs and youthful exuberance, even after the worst outing of his career. "It takes a lot to break me," he said.

The D-Train has been losing steam lately, with a 2-2 record and 6.48 ERA in five starts since the All-Star break. But resiliency is part of Willis' charm, which is why the Florida Marlins are confident he'll bounce back from a loss Monday to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The rookie gave up seven runs and departed after the first seven batters reached base in the third inning.

"The kid's human," Marlins pitching coach Wayne Rosenthal said Tuesday. "There are going to be times not everything clicks."

With an 11-3 record, Willis remains one of this season's most captivating stories and the front-runner for rookie of the year. His latest start drew a crowd of 20,288, 40 percent above the Marlins' season average. He left the game trailing 7-2, but fans gave him a boisterous ovation. But while D-Train Mania has yet to wane, his pitching lately has been ordinary rather than extraordinary.

CLINTON VISITS SHEA: Even with Barry Bonds in the ballpark, President Bill Clinton was the biggest hit at Shea Stadium on Tuesday night.

Clinton attended the San Francisco Giants-New York Mets game and visited both clubhouses. He also signed baseballs and shook hands with dozens of fans.

"I'm a baseball nut, what can I say?" said Clinton, flanked by several Secret Service agents.

It was Clinton's first visit to Shea since Jackie Robinson Night on April 14, 1997, when the Mets honored the man who broke baseball's color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers 50 years earlier.