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Hernandez sharp as Diamondbacks pound Mitre, Marlins

Jul 25, 2007 - 5:38 AM PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Struggling Livan Hernandez picked up his first victory in nearly two months as the Arizona Diamondbacks posted a 9-3 victory over the Florida Marlins.

Orlando Hudson had three hits, including a homer, and two RBI for the Diamondbacks, who are just 2 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (56-45) for the top spot in the National League West.

Hernandez (6-6), who was a World Series MVP with the Marlins in 1997, had not won since throwing a complete game against the Houston Astros on May 27, a span of nine starts. During that stretch, the righthander went 0-4 with a 6.41 ERA.

The 32-year-old kept the Marlins hitters off-balance with an assortment of off-speed pitches, allowing just one run and seven hits in seven innings of work. He struck out five and issued only one walk.

"I needed that one bad. I hadn't won in a long time," Hernandez said. "I had good command tonight. I am the kind of pitcher that pitches in the big games and tonight was the time to win. I am the kind of guy that never puts my head down. When you continue working you will fix what is wrong."

Arizona got the offense going early, scoring a run in each of the first two innings and blowing the game wide open in the third.

With one out in the third, Hudson got the attack going with a solo blast to left-center field off Florida starter Sergio Mitre. It was Hudson's ninth home run of the season and second in the last two games. Eric Byrnes followed with a triple off the center field wall and scored on Tony Clark's single to right.

"The last few games we have been swinging the bats well and getting good pitching," Hudson said. "Hitting is contagious. One guy gets a hit then another and another. That is the way the game goes and we have come through the last two games."

The onslaught continued when the Diamondbacks loaded the bases on a single and a hit batsman before Mitre walked Scott Hairston to force in the third run of the frame. Rookie Miguel Montero then knocked in the fourth run of the inning with a sacrifice fly, giving Arizona a 6-0 lead.

"That was a big game for us offensively," Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin said. "We have seen games where we either swing the bats well early or late but not both. It is good to see us put the pressure on then tack on a couple of more. As far as the offense is concerned, that is the best we have been in awhile."

Mitre (4-5) who saw his ERA jump from 2.82 to 3.26, lasted only three innings and gave up a season-high seven runs - six earned - and seven hits. He walked two and struck out one. The righthander is now 0-3 lifetime against the Diamondbacks with a 12.51 ERA.

"His sinker wasn't sinking and he left some balls up over the plate. That was his worst outing of the year," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "I guess he was due for one of those."

"I did leave some balls up and they were laying off some pretty good pitches," Mitre said. "It was one of those nights were nothing was going to work out. The bottom line is I got hit around."

Chris Young and Stephen Drew each scored twice for Arizona.

Dan Uggla accounted for all of the Florida runs with two homers, a solo shot in the sixth and a two-run shot in the eighth. That pushed his season total to 21 - vaulting him over Cincinnati's Brandon Phillips for tops among major league second basemen.