Cora, Marlins back Guillen
Nearly all the Miami Marlins rushed over to the dugout railing and playfully pretended to listen when Joey Cora sat down to speak about filling in for suspended manager Ozzie Guillen.
Shortly after Guillen addressed the team in the clubhouse Wednesday and apologized for saying he admired Fidel Castro, it was business as usual for the players.
To a man, they had his back.
"It's really a hard time for him and his family," closer Heath Bell said. "We felt bad for him. You have to understand that occasionally guys make mistakes. At least he's owning up to it and not trying to hide or shy away from it. He's going to try and make up for his mistakes.
"He can only be a better person out of it. Like he said, if he doesn't learn from this, he's stupid. That's what he said."
Guillen's comments led to his five-game suspension that started when Miami played the Phillies in the second game of a three-game series. The Marlins, who opened a new ballpark last week and added several marquee free agents over the winter, are off to a 2-3 start.
A day after a contrite Guillen held an hourlong news conference in Miami, he talked to the team for less than 10 minutes and expressed similar emotions.
"There's nothing he needs to apologize to us about," reliever Mike Dunn said. "He's our manager and we back him 100 percent."
Outfielder Logan Morrison said: "I love the guy."
Guillen's praise of the Cuban dictator in an interview with Time magazine outraged the Cuban-American community in Miami and led some politicians to call for his dismissal.
* AMERICAN LEAGUE
Athletics 5, Royals 4, 12 inn.: Jonathan Broxton hit Jonny Gomes on the first pitch he threw with the bases loaded in the 12th, forcing Jemile Weeks home for the winning run in Oakland's victory over visiting Kansas City.
White Sox 10, Indians 6: A.J. Pierzynski hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs to lead Chicago at Cleveland.
Blue Jays 3, Red Sox 1: Yunel Escobar drove in two runs and host Toronto beat Boston.
Rays 4, Tigers 2: Ben Zobrist hit a tiebreaking two-run single in the ninth to lift Tampa Bay at Detroit.
Twins 6, Angels 5: At Minneapolis, Josh Willingham hit a two-run homer to lift Minnesota past Los Angeles.
Yankees 6, Orioles 4, 10 inn.: Nick Swisher hit a two-run homer in the 10th, and New York won at Baltimore.
* NATIONAL LEAGUE
Padres 2, Diamondbacks 1: Chris Denorfia hit a two-run homer and host San Diego beat Arizona.
Brewers 2, Cubs 1: George Kottaras hit a two-run homer and Milwaukee won at Chicago.
Nationals 4, Mets 0: Stephen Strasburg outpitched Johan Santana for six innings and Washington won at New York.
Reds 4, Cardinals 3: Chris Heisey's RBI single in the ninth lifted Cincinnati past visiting St. Louis.
Dodgers 4, Pirates 1: Andre Ethier hit an RBI single for his second go-ahead hit in two days and host Los Angeles beat Pittsburgh.
Braves 6, Astros 3: Jason Heyward homered and drove in two runs to lift Atlanta at Houston.
Phillies 7, Marlins 1: Roy Halladay threw seven sharp innings and host Philadelphia beat Miami.
Rockies 17, Giants 8: At Denver, Carlos Gonzalez tripled twice, drove in four runs and scored three times, leading Colorado past San Francisco.