Even if it means leaving the country.

That was the recipe over the weekend when Florida won two of three games in Montreal and hellped cool off the previously hot Expos.

Jason Grilli homered and pitched five solid innings to lead the Marlins past the Expos 6-3, and take two out of three from them.

The two wins boosted Florida to 4-7 prior to a three-game series in Atlanta that starts Monday against the Braves who closed out the weekend at 6-7.

Florida put the wheels in motion Sunday, stealing five bases against Montreal starter Tony Armas Jr. who showed them a gradual delivery the Marlins were able to exploit.

"If pitchers are 1.3 seconds or less to the plate then you need to be careful," said Florida manager John Bowles. "Above that you can run. Armas was above that today. We had no opportunities to run against Philly. If pitchers refuse to give it to you, you're foolish to take it. Today we took advantage of it."

April 13, 2001

Looking for wins

The Marlins left the City of Brotherly Love to open a three-game series in Montreal against the red-hot Expos on Friday still looking for the first win of the season away from home.

The Marlins went 2-4 at home and then lost both games in Philadelphia, so regardless of what happens this weekend, they'll still be winless in the United States outside of their own ballpark.

The probable pitching matchups had ace RH Ryan Dempster (1-0, 2.45) scheduled to throw against against LH Chris Peters (1-0, 1.80) on Friday against the 6-3 Expos.

On Saturday, RH Matt Clement (1-0, 2.77) was set to pitch against RH Javier Vasquez (1-0, 3.00) and on Sunday, RH Brad Penny (0-0, 4.50) vs. RH Britt Reames (1-0, 2.45).

Montreal got off to its good start with the help of the Expos first sweep of the Mets since 1983. Everything, so far, seemed to be going right for the Expos. Closer Ugueth Urbina saved four of the first six wins, and the bullpen corps allowed just two runs in its first 18 innings.

The Marlins shouldn't expect to see too many people in Montreal, as only 5,776 showed up at Olympic Stadium on Monday to see the Expos' 7-5 win over the Cubs.

FOX ON DL: The Marlins placed utility infielder Andy Fox on the disabled list with a broken right pinkie. He was hit by a pitch in Tuesday's game against Philadelphia.

The Marlins purchased the contract of right-hander Joe Strong from Triple-A Calgary. Strong had a 9.00 ERA and one save in five spring training games.

The Marlins also announced catcher Ramon Castro had cleared waivers and was sent outright to Calgary.

SLUMP BUSTER: Florida's favorite early-season slump-buster, John Burkett, rode to the rescue again. It was Burkett who earned the victory and ended Florida's club-worst 0-4 start in 1995 by beating San Francisco. And this year, as the Marlins tied their club-worst 0-4 start, Burkett snapped it again -- only this time, he was pitching for Atlanta, and he was the losing pitcher.

HOMER HAPPY: After tying a club record with four circuit clouts last Sunday, the Marlins had 14 homers in the first eight games. Cliff Floyd led the way with four.

GLAVINE KILLERS: Mike Redmond, whose home run last Sunday was his first in the big leagues since 1999, has a bit of a mastery going over Braves left-hander Tom Glavine (0-1). Redmond's fifth-inning homer left him 15 for 23 (.652) against the two-time Cy Young Award winner.

Glavine is now 8-12 with a 4.19 ERA in 22 career starts against the Marlins. At Pro Player Stadium, he is 3-9 with a 5.17 ERA in 12 starts.

Of the 20 big league teams Glavine has faced in his career, the Marlins are the only one with a winning record against him. It was just the fourth time in his career Glavine has allowed three homers in a game.

GOT MABRY: The Marlins acquired veteran utility man John Mabry from the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday in exchange for cash considerations.

Mabry, who had been hitless in seven at-bats so far for the Cards, hit .235 with eight homers and 32 RBI in 96 games last season with Seattle and San Diego. Mabry, 30, has a career .275 average with 49 home runs and 265 RBI. As a pinch-hitter, he is .235 with two homers and 12 RBI.

"John is an established major league player with a solid lefthanded bat," Marlins president and general manager Dave Dombrowski told the Associated Press. "He can play multiple positions and will be a good fit with our major league club."

STAT CORNER: The Marlins 2-6 start bears little comparison to 1998, when Florida won its season opener and proceeded to lose the next 11.

ACHES AND PAINS: Disabled hurlers A.J. Burnett and Chuck Smith accompanied the Marlins to Philadelphia. Burnett, out with a stress fracture in his right foot, threw off the mound for 12 minutes Saturday. He had been expected to return by mid-May, but manager John Boles said Burnett might be back sooner.

QUOTEWORTHY: "I'm not going to demean his performance. But it wasn't a good one. That was the most bizarre shutout I've ever seen. If someone asked me about that performance and I said it was sterling, they would put me in the loony bin." -- Florida manager John Boles on Ryan Dempster's six-inning stint against the Braves last Saturday.

Between The Lines

ROAD WARRIORS: Beginning with Monday's 5-4 loss in Philadelphia, the Marlins were scheduled to play 15 of the next 19 games on the road. After a nine-game swing through Philadelphia, Montreal and Atlanta, they return home for four games with the Expos before finishing the month with a swing through Arizona and Houston.

SWEET JESUS: Jesus Sanchez was impressive Saturday in his first start for Triple-A Calgary, striking out 10 and allowing just one hit in seven innings.

FINALLY: With his win on Saturday, Dempster got off the schneide against Atlanta. He entered the game with a 0-4 record in seven career starts against Atlanta,