Five straight victories -- and rats!

Reprinted from Saturday's late editions

They are throwing rats.

Charles Johnson was sitting in front of his locker talking about how the Marlins had just beaten Colorado, 4-2, Friday to win their fifth in a row -- their longest win streak of the season -- when pitcher John Burkett tossed a plastic rat at him. He was so startled he dropped it.

It was the only thing Johnson dropped Friday. He caught another well-pitched game, caught Quinton McCracken stealing to save a run in the first inning, and caught all of a 0-1 fastball from Kevin Ritz, drilling a two-run homer to knot the score at 2-2 in the second.

Add a big hit and big catch from Jeff Conine, and the Marlins had a victory.

``Right now we are playing with a winning attitude,'' said Johnson, explaining how the Marlins have turned their fortunes around after losing five in a row and falling 10 games under .500 before coming home last Monday.

``Guys come to the park, and you can see it in their eyes. We know when we go out there, we can win the ballgame.''

The rats? The Panthers sent them. Honest. Florida's favorite Rat Kings sent a bag of plastic rats this week, and the Marlins have been winning since. Even Manager Rene Lachemann was laughing about the rodents. He had one wrapped around a statue of Casey that sits on his desk.

``It's the rats,'' joked Lachemann, who watched his team win five in a row for the first time since Aug. 12, 1995. Then he became a little more serious. ``We're getting some breaks now, and we are getting good pitching. You can win some games when you get pitching like we got tonight.''

Indeed. Pat Ratt, er, Rapp went 6 2/3 innings before giving way to a bullpen that has been magnificent during Florida's streak.

``I didn't have my good fastball, but my curve was great,'' said Rapp, who gave up seven hits. One of them cost him two runs. Andres Galarraga hit his 10th home run of the year, driving in Dante Bichette, who hit a one-out single in the first.

The Rockies would have had a 3-0 lead, but McCracken, who had walked, tried to steal second, but Johnson erased him.

Rapp didn't allow another extra-base hit until the seventh. By that time, Conine had delivered a two-out, bases-loaded single that lifted Florida to a 4-2 lead.

And all this happened in front of 27,309, the largest crowd at JRS in since April 20, a crowd that included Panthers hero Rob Neidermayer.

If you don't think things have changed, just look at the way Florida hit with the bases loaded Friday. The Marlins played the first part of the season as if it were a crime to hit with three men on base.

The Marlins had been 3 for 30 in that situation when Conine stepped to the plate in the fifth. The score was knotted, 2-2, and Conine laced the first pitch past a diving Vinny Castilla at third, bringing in Rapp, who singled, and Alex Arias, who had been hit by a pitch.

Arias extended his hitting streak to seven games with a triple in the first inning, and made a highlight-film play at short in the fourth when he snared Galarraga's liner.

In the fifth, the Marlins made two outstanding plays as Craig Grebeck, who started at second for Quilvio Veras, who strained his hamstring Thursday, made a leaping catch of Walt Weiss' liner, and Conine saved a run with a two-out diving catch in left field. Rapp called Conine's catch the turning point of the game.

``I guess they are equally important to me,'' said Conine of his hit and his catch. ``It was a ball I didn't know if I could get to. But you might as well make an attempt.

``It's the little things. That's how you put together a streak. That's how teams get hot.''

Having what is becoming one of the best bullpens in the NL doesn't hurt, either. Robb Nen closed this one out in the ninth to earn his eighth save and fourth during the streak.

``I'm in a zone right now,'' said Nen, who struck out the side in the ninth. ``I'm pitching better than I have in a long time.''

Jay Powell, fresh off the disabled list, entered and pitched a perfect eighth before giving way to Nen.