Marlins split series with 11-1 win over Cubs\nCHICAGO -- Juan Pierre had three of Florida's 15 hits, A.J. Burnett pitched eight strong innings and the Marlins beat the Chicago Cubs 11-1 Sunday to earn a split of their four-game series.\nAlex Gonzalez hit a two-run double and Paul Lo Duca added a two-run single for the Marlins, who entered the day 2 1/2 games behind the Cubs in the NL wild-card race.\nFlorida is staying in Chicago to play at least two games against Montreal at U.S. Cellular Field, home of the White Sox, beginning Monday. The games were moved from Miami because of the threat of Hurricane Ivan. The Marlins will still be the home team.\nThe Cubs and Marlins meet again in a makeup doubleheader scheduled for Sept. 20 in Florida.\nBurnett (7-6) took a shutout into the seventh and helped himself with two hits. He won his career-best fourth straight game and fifth in his last six starts. The right-hander gave up one run and six hits in eight innings.\nThe Marlins chased Glendon Rusch (6-2) with a four-run fourth. Rusch was starting for Matt Clement (shoulder) and came in with a 3.63 ERA as the Cubs' "sixth starter."
Mayfield breaks four-year drought to race into chase\nRICHMOND, Va. -- It was win and in for Jeremy Mayfield, who couldn't hide his excitement when NASCAR chairman Brian France stopped to congratulate him on racing his way into the playoffs\n"Man, I love your new points system," Mayfield gushed. "You couldn't have come up with anything better than this."\nOne of the first things France did upon taking over as NASCAR's chairman was shaking up the points system the series had used since 1975. The new format created a 10-race playoff system for the top 10 drivers in the standings.\nThe result is a wide-open race that will give Mayfield a chance at his first title. It's a position he never would have been in under the old system, which rewarded consistency but made for lackluster championship chases with few real challenges over the stretch run.\nNow, Mayfield is clearly in the hunt, although he had to earn the right to get in. Mayfield ended a four-year winless drought Saturday night with a victory at Richmond International Raceway.\nHe had gone into the Chevrolet 400 in 14th place in the standings and a mind-set that a victory was the only way he would crack the top 10.
