CHICAGO (AP) -- Run support was not an issue for A.J. Burnett

this time.

The Florida Marlins gave the right-hander plenty Wednesday,

routing the Chicago Cubs 15-5 in their highest scoring game of the

season.

Carlos Delgado, Miguel Cabrera, Juan Encarnacion and Luis

Castillo homered, and Juan Pierre and Paul Lo Duca each had four of

the Marlins' season-high 20 hits. Pierre also stole two bases.

"Just got the results today," said Pierre, who hit .205 in his

previous 33 games. "Every day, I go out work the same way and try

to have the same approach. I got [two] bunt base hits. ... I

probably remained a little more relaxed at the plate."

Delgado's three-run homer capped a six-run fourth inning that

made it 8-0, knocked out Greg Maddux and made it an easy afternoon

for Burnett.

Burnett (4-4) pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed five runs -- all

in the seventh -- for his first victory since beating Philadelphia

on April 29. He was 0-3 in seven starts since then despite a 3.63

ERA during that stretch.

"They gave me a big enough lead where I could afford to screw

up in the seventh," Burnett said.

Maddux (5-4) saw his three-game winning streak end. He lasted

just 3 2-3 innings and allowed seven runs, his worst outing since

giving up seven earned runs to the White Sox last June 27.

"It was one of the few times that he didn't have his control

and his location," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. "Just chalk it

up as one of the few bad days you'll see him have."

It was Maddux's shortest outing since April 12, 2004, when he

lasted 3 2/3 innings against Pittsburgh.

"I made a lot of bad pitches that got hit hard, and I made some

pretty good ones that got hit, too," Maddux said.

Especially in the fourth.

With two outs, Pierre hit a two-run double that made it 4-0 and

Cabrera had an RBI single. Todd Wellemeyer relieved with runners on

first and third, and Delgado hit the first pitch for his 14th home

run.

In the bottom of the seventh, Jeromy Burnitz hit a three-run

homer, and the next batter, Aramis Ramirez, chased Burnett with a

single.

The teams spent the series bludgeoning each other, with the

Marlins winning 9-1 in the opener, and the Cubs cruising 14-0 on

Tuesday.

"It's been a crazy series," Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee

said. "I'm glad it's over with -- get out of here, go on the road

and start playing some better baseball."

Cabrera gave the Marlins a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer in the

first, after Pierre led off the game with a bunt single.

"First at-bat of the game, that set the whole tone," Lo Duca

said.

Burnett said, "It put pressure on them early in the game. I

think everybody just got comfortable. You don't get 20 hits as a

team [every day], but it's good to enjoy them when you have them --

especially coming into Wrigley and winning a series."

In his previous four starts, Burnett lasted at least six innings

and did not allow more than three runs.

"He usually pitches with a one-run lead or down by one; we

never really score for him," Pierre said. "Today we did, and he

did the rest. ... He always go deep into the sixth or seventh

inning and something weird always happens."

Florida won for the fifth time in eight games.

"Hopefully, this trip is a turning point we can look at," Lo

Duca said.Game notes
Delgado extended his hitting streak to 11 games. ...

Encarnacion broke an 0-for-13 streak with his two-run homer in the

fifth. ... The Cubs optioned LHP John Koronka to Triple-A Iowa and

called up LHP Rich Hill. They waived RHP David Crouthers. Hill made

his major league debut, allowing two runs in an inning of relief.

Koronka was 1-2 with a 7.63 ERA in three starts, while Crouthers,

acquired in the Sammy Sosa trade with Baltimore, had not appeared

in a game.