PHOENIX, April 29 (UPI) -- Elmer Dessens had his best start of the season Monday night, pitching the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 7-1 win over the Florida Marlins.
With the victory, the Diamondbacks won their season-high third straight.
Dessens (3-2) allowed one run and five hits in seven innings, with two walks and five strikeouts in his longest outing of the year.
The righthander improved to 4-0 with a 1.60 ERA in six career appearances against the Marlins, easily his best record against any opponent.
Mike Koplove pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Mike Myers finished up after Arizona scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to turn the game into a rout.
Following a 3-11 start, the Diamondbacks have won eight of their last 12 games.
After walking Craig Counsell to start the bottom of the first inning, Marlins rookie starter Justin Wayne (0-1) ran the count full on Junior Spivey. Wayne caught too much of the plate with his next pitch and Spivey drove it over the fence in left field for his first homer of the season.
Spivey, who went 3-for-4, also scored a run in the fifth inning when he singled, advanced to third on another base hit by Luis Gonzalez, and came home on a sacrifice fly by Danny Bautista.
A day after the Marlins had to use their entire bullpen in a 20-inning loss to St. Louis, Wayne pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed four runs and seven hits. Toby Borland got the final two outs in the sixth after tossing two scoreless innings in Sunday's marathon.
