Willis shuts down Cubs to lift Marlins

It's not time for Cubs fans to panic _ yet. Eager to sew up the NL Central, Chicago instead managed only two hits in eight innings against Dontrelle Willis and lost to the Florida Marlins 4-2 Tuesday.

Given the Cubs' storied tradition of collapses, it takes little imagination for their long-suffering supporters to envision another this week. Chicago's lead over Milwaukee in the NL Central slipped to two games after the Brewers' 9-1 rout of St. Louis later Tuesday.

Chicago's magic number for clinching the division was four, with five games left in the regular season.

The Marlins know all about the supposed Cubs curse. Four years ago, Chicago blew a three-games-to-one lead against Florida and lost NL championship series.

The Cubs had won 10 of their past 12 games and four in a row, but bad luck _ an omen? _ helped beat them Tuesday. Consecutive bloopers by the last-place Marlins fell for hits in short right-center field during their four-run second inning against Ted Lilly. A sharp grounder by Amaris Ramirez became a double play.

Worst of all for Chicago, Willis (10-15) delivered one of his best performances in a disappointing season. He struck out seven to set a franchise record for career strikeouts, and won for only the third time in 15 decisions since May 29.

Willis took a one-hit shutout into the eighth, then walked Geovany Soto and gave up Craig Monroe's first homer to make it 4-2. Willis retired the next three batters, punching the muggy air when he struck out Alfonso Soriano for the third time to end the inning.

Weary Marlins closer Kevin Gregg was given the night off. Lee Gardner gave up a hit but retired two batters in the ninth, and Taylor Tankersley got pinch-hitter Cliff Floyd on a flyout for his first save, completing a three-hitter. That gave the Marlins their eighth consecutive win against Chicago over the past two seasons.

The announced crowd was 16,044, with most cheering for the Cubs. When highlights from the Marlins' 2003 playoff victory over the Cubs was shown on the scoreboard screen between innings, fans booed.

The first sign the Cubs have a postseason-mindset came in the opening inning, when manager Lou Piniella visited the mound with two out and one on. Piniella ordered an intentional walk to Miguel Cabrera, and Lilly struck out Mike Jacobs.

Florida bunched together four consecutive singles, including the bloopers by Willis and Hanley Ramirez, to take a 4-0 lead in the second. Ramirez's bases-loaded hit scored the first run, Dan Uggla hit a sacrifice fly and Jeremy Hermida followed with a two-out, two-run double.

The one bad inning doomed Lilly (15-8), who left for a pinch-hitter after five trailing 4-0. The Cubs lost for the first time in his past six starts.

Notes:@ Amaris Ramirez, unhappy with the way balls and strikes were called, was ejected after flying out for the second out in the ninth. ... The Marlins set a team record with 762 runs. ... Willis increased his career strikeout total to 755, breaking A.J. Burnett's club record of 753. ... Lilly established a career high with 173 strikeouts this season.