By Mike Lopresti
Gannett News Service

Cubs pitcher Mike Remlinger celebrates defeating the Florida Marlins, 5-4, in game 3 of the NLCS. At right is Marlins' Luis Castillo, who was caught in a rundown to end the game. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

MIAMI - The heroes of Chicago cannot always be named Kerry Wood. Or Mark Prior. Or Sammy Sosa. Not if this merry month is to last.

The Cubs will need more from someone, and Friday night they got it, with Doug Glanville's 11th-inning triple giving them a 5-4 victory over Florida and 2-1 lead in the National League Championship Series.

"It's a great thing," Glanville said, "for momentum."

Glanville came from the back of the roster to settle a long night that stretched well past midnight. He had one previous at-bat in the postseason, a double play against Atlanta. He had one extra-base hit all season, a home run four weeks ago.

But his one-out liner into left off Braden Looper, which scored Kenny Lofton from first, won a game that saw Wood take a 2-1 lead into the seventh, before the heat and the Marlins finally caught up to him.

Another victory would not be going to Chicago's autumn tag team of Wood and Prior. So other Cubs had to step forward, in a game of constantly swaying fortunes and emotions.

"It's either step it up and win these games," Wood said, "or we're going to go home."

It took Randall Simon's two-run homer in the eighth inning to give the Cubs a 4-3 lead, after the Marlins had gone ahead 3-2 in the seventh.

It took reliever Joe Borowski getting Mike Mordecai to fly out with bases loaded in the Florida ninth when a hit or walk would have ended the game.

It took Lofton's single - his seventh hit in two nights - to start the final rally that would crush the spirits of a record crowd of 65,115. Lofton, running on the decisive pitch to Glanville, drew shortstop Mordecai out of position, opening a hole for Glanville's drive to zip through.

It was just enough in the gap to sneak under the glove of left fielder Jeff Conine, who slid trying to stop it.

And it took Mike Remlinger, without a save this season, to finish off the Marlins in the 11th, but not before a last bizarre act. The last out was Luis Castillo in a rundown between second and third, caught off the bag when third baseman Aramis Ramirez bobbled Derrek Lee's grounder.

It was the last twist of plot for the Marlins, who haven't lost many like this at home lately.

"He's a hustling little player, an aggressive guy," Florida manager Jack McKeon said of Castillo. "I can't fault him."

Remlinger said another pitcher once told him, "the ultimate relieving experience feels like going a hundred miles an hour with your hair on fire.

"That's how it felt."

For the Cubs, the reward was substantial. With two more games here this weekend, they know that even if they lose, this series will return to Chicago, for more Wood and Prior.

"I thought it was a seven-game series," McKeon said. "Reading all the articles (about Wood), I didn't know whether we should show up tonight."

The Cubs could have made it easier on themselves. And certainly on Wood. Instead, they stranded 10 runners in the first seven innings, twice leaving the bases loaded.

"I was hoping," Baker said, "that wouldn't come back to haunt us."

So Wood, ahead 2-1 after two innings, had to fight through the night with no margin for error, dueling Florida starter Mark Redman.

It was plain to see, and hear, why Florida is 30-10 at home since the All-Star break.

"Every team feeds off the crowd," Baker said. "Even though we play a sport, we're entertainers."

Wood retired nine straight in one stretch, but was in trouble in the fifth - he walked Redman, who had one hit in 61 at-bats this season - before he struck out Ivan Rodriguez with the bases loaded.

But in the seventh, the Marlins passed him. Castillo's groundout scored one run, Rodriguez's single slapped the opposite way into right scored another for the 3-2 lead.

The Florida faithful sensed a turning point. They had seen Wood give up the lead. They had seen him taken from the game, a tired pitcher leaving after a long, hot and noisy night.

They had seen one of Chicago's Big Two on the brink of being beaten.

But suddenly, that lead was gone. Tom Goodwin's triple in the eighth off Chad Fox was followed by Simon's two-run homer into the right-field stands, Chicago's eighth home run of the series.

The Marlins pulled even 4-4 in the eighth on Todd Hollandsworth's epic at-bat against Borowski.

Balls and strikes, fouls and more fouls. And finally on the ninth pitch, Hollandsworth singled into left for a 4-4 tie.

It was left for someone to win. Not Wood. Not Prior. Not Sosa.

"I can tell you it's a lot more fun being out there than sitting in the dugout watching it," Wood said. "It's nerve-wracking. But this is what postseason is all about."