Todd's First Win From Injury

Todd Stottlemyre's first goal after going down with a torn rotator cuff in May was to pitch again this season. His second was to win a game.

It took all of five days to go from one to the other.

Stottlemyre scattered five hits over seven innings to get his first win since the injury, helping the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Florida Marlins 7-2 Wednesday night for their fifth straight victory.

"I'm so thankful," the right-hander said. "This is a great day, no question about it. It's been a long time."

As satisfying as that start felt, the ultra-competitive Stottlemyre wanted more from his next outing.

"I wanted to compete like I did before the injury," he said. "That's what it's all about for me. Just being out there wasn't going to be good enough."

Stottlemyre hadn't won since May 7, when he opened the season 4-1 after joining Arizona as a free agent. He threw 95 pitches, two fewer than his first start back, with 57 going for strikes.

The Diamondbacks also made several solid defensive plays, including two in the sixth inning. Center fielder Steve Finley made a running catch on Todd Dunwoody's deep drive, and shortstop Hanley Frias followed by stabbing Kevin Millar's liner.

"Quite frankly, they had some really hard-hit balls," Arizona manager Buck Showalter said.

Fria added a two-run single as the Diamondbacks broke a 2-2 tie with four runs in the sixth. Erubiel Durazo hit a solo homer in the eighth and Jay Bell added two sacrifice flies.

Arizona has won nine of its past 10 overall and 17 of 20 on the road. The NL West leaders are 26-7 since July 20, the best record in the majors during that span.

Dunwoody homered for Florida, which lost its fifth straight.

"We just got beat tonight," Marlins manager John Boles said. "This one doesn't feel as bad as the last three."

Each of Florida's previous three losses came on a late-inning homer.

Florida's Vladimir Nunez (5-6), acquired from Arizona in the Matt Mantei trade July 9, matched Stottlemyre's performance until his former teammates hammered him in the sixth.

With one out, Luis Gonzalez doubled and went to third when an errant pitch by Nunez glanced off the left wrist of catcher Jorge Fabregas for a passed ball. Fabregas left the game and X-rays showed a bruised wrist.

Matt Williams singled home Gonzalez on the next pitch, putting Arizona ahead 3-2. After Steve Finley drew a two-out walk, Kelly Stinnett hit a one-out single to chase Nunez. Frias greeted reliever Braden Looper with his two-run single.

"I don't feel too bad," Nunez said. "My stuff is pretty good, but it's the first time I've faced these guys."

For Frias, the hit carried extra meaning. His father, Juan, had flown in from the Dominican Republic to see his son in a major league game for the first time.

"He told me to play the game like I know how to play," Frias said. "I got a hit for him."

Arizona's final run came on Durazo's homer, his fifth this year and second in as many games.

The Diamondbacks scored an unearned run in the first inning. Tony Womack singled, went to third on an errant pickoff throw and scored on Bell's sacrifice fly.

An RBI single by Fabregas tied it 1-1 in the second, but Arizona went back ahead one inning later on Bell's second sacrifice fly.

Dunwoody tied it again in the bottom of th third with his second homer, a shot over the center-field wall.

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