Miami ? Rain limited Luis Castillo to three at-bats, which was two more than he needed.

Castillo slashed a single in the first inning Thursday night and extended his hitting streak to 34 games, breaking Rogers Hornsby’s record for a second baseman and tying Dom DiMaggio and three others.

Florida's Luis castillo singles against Cleveland. Castillo extended his hitting streak to 34 games Thursday at Miami.

“That’s what I want to do in my first at-bat, so I can feel loose,” Castillo said.

He scored the first run to help Florida beat Cleveland, 3-0, in a game called in bottom of the sixth inning.

Castillo, who finished 1-for-3, slapped a 2-2 pitch from Ryan Drese to left field the 12th time he has had a hit in the first inning during the streak.

The start of the game was delayed 17 minutes by rain. There was another delay of one hour, 42 minutes before the game was called at 11:02 p.m.

“If Luis didn’t get a hit in the first inning, I guarantee we’d be here until 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning so he could get a hit,” Marlins third-base coach Ozzie Guillen said.

It was Florida’s second rain-shortened game during the streak.

Castillo, a Dominican, matched Benito Santiago’s record for the longest hitting streak by a player born outside the United States and surpassed Hornsby’s 33-game streak in 1922.

Four other players had one-season streaks of 34 games DiMaggio (1949), Santiago (1987), George McQuinn (1934) and George Sisler (1925). Only 10 players have had a longer streak, including just two since 1950 Pete Rose (44) in 1978 and Paul Molitor (39) in 1987.

Castillo, a switch-hitting leadoff man, said he might bat right-handed tonight against the knuckleballs of Detroit right-hander Steve Sparks.

“I can see Castillo extending that streak,” Indians manager Charlie Manuel said. “He’s tough in the fact he can run like the wind and puts the ball in play. He’s a good little player. He has a chance to go far.”

Announced attendance was 8,045, and there were perhaps 5,000 fans actually on hand, some wearing rain slickers.

Florida completed a three-game sweep of the Indians in the first meeting between the teams since the 1997 World Series, which the Marlins won.

Angels 3, Cardinals 2

St. Louis David Eckstein had three hits and scored twice as California beat St. Louis. Scott Schoeneweis (6-5) gave up two runs in 51/3 innings. Troy Percival worked the ninth for his 15th save in 17 chances.

Rockies 14, Yankees 11, 10 innings

Denver Todd Zeile hit a three-run homer off Steve Karsay (3-3) in the 10th inning, and Colorado outslugged New York to close the highest-scoring three-game series in Coors Field history. The two teams combined for 70 runs in three games. Todd Hollandsworth hit a grand slam as the Rockies rallied after Roger Clemens was hit in the right forearm by a line drive and left the game. X-rays proved negative.

Rangers 7, Cubs 4

Chicago Former Cub Rafael Palmeiro hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning, and Kevin Mench homered twicefor Texas.

White Sox 6, Phillies 1

Philadelphia Chicago’s Mark Buehrle (10-5) pitched shutout ball into the ninth inning, and Paul Konerko made it easy by hitting a three-run homer in the first.

Giants 10, Devil Rays 2

San Francisco Marvin Benard had season-highs of four hits and four runs, and Rich Aurilia had four RBIs for the Giants. Russ Ortiz (6-4) gave up two unearned runs on six hits over eight innings. Tanyon Sturtze (0-8) now owns the longest losing streak in the majors after allowing seven runs on 13 hits in 51/3 innings.

Athletics 5, Pirates 3

Pittsburgh Jermaine Dye drove in four runs with a homer and a bases-loaded double to support Tim Hudson’s effective pitching, and Oakland completed a three-game sweep.

Hudson (5-6) shook off Jason Kendall’s first career leadoff homer and limited the Pirates to two runs and five hits over eight innings.

Mets 3, Twins 2

New York Steve Trachsel (5-6) retired his first 19 batters and took a shutout into the ninth for New York. Mike Piazza hit a solo homer off Tony Fiore (5-2), which landed in Torii Hunter’s glove before going over the fence in the sixth, and Edgardo Alfonzo added a two-run shot.

Mariners 3, Reds 2

Cincinnati Ruben Sierra hit a two-run homer against his former team off Joey Hamilton (3-5). James Baldwin (5-6) left after allowing a two-run homer to Juan Encarnacion in the sixth. Kazuhiro Sasaki got the last four outs for his 17th save.

Braves 3, Tigers 2

Atlanta Javy Lopez drove home the winning run with a two-out single as Atlanta rallied for three runs in the ninth inning. Adam Bernero pitched eight scoreless innings for Detroit. He was lifted after giving up Julio Franco’s leadoff double in the ninth. But Juan Acevedo (1-3) couldn’t preserve the lead. Greg Maddux had to leave after the fifth because of lingering pain in his left calf.

D’backs 5, Orioles 1

Phoenix Randy Johnson fanned 11 and improved to 11-2.

Red Sox 5, Padres 0

San Diego Pedro Martinez struck out 11 and gave up just two hits in eight innings as Boston beat San Diego. Martinez (8-2) was coming off losses to Atlanta and Arizona, the first time he’d lost consecutive starts since 1998. After allowing Mark Kotsay’s single in the third, the right-hander retired his last 17 batters.

Dodgers 2, Blue Jays 1

Los Angeles Odalis Perez survived a defensive blunder by Shawn Green to win his fourth straight decision as Los Angeles beat Toronto. Perez (8-3) lowered his ERA to 2.52.

Late Wednesday game

Yankees 20, Rockies 10

Denver Robin Ventura and John Vander Wal each drove in four runs for New York.