By The Associated Press

PHOENIX - The end of Junior Spivey's slump is the latest signal that the Arizona Diamondbacks are turning around the awful start to their season.

Spivey went 3-for-5 with his first home run of the year and Arizona won three games in a row for the first time this season by beating the weary Florida Marlins 7-1 Monday night.

"In the past I've been out there definitely pressing," Spivey said. "It felt good to hit the ball hard."

Spivey, batting .182 with three RBIs going into the game, drove in two with a first-inning homer off Justin Wayne (0-1) and scored twice. Rod Barajas, just off the disabled list, drove in two runs with a double and single.

"We've seen it coming the last four or five ballgames," Arizona manager Bob Brenly said. "Junior is getting a little closer and a little closer, having better at bats, making better swings and laying off bad pitches. It was really good to see him jump-start us tonight in the first inning."

Elmer Dessens (3-2) allowed one run on five hits, including two of Mike Lowell's three doubles, over seven innings to get his second win in a row. He struck out five and walked two.

The right-hander, who came to Arizona from Cincinnati in the deal that sent Erubiel Durazo to Oakland, has allowed two runs in 13 innings over his last two starts.

"I said it last time, but that's what we expected from Elmer Dessens," Brenly said, "a lot of good strikes with movement low in the strike zone. He got a lot of ground balls. He was ahead in the count most of the night."

Dessens is 4-0 with a 1.60 ERA in six appearances, five of them starts, against the Marlins.

"I'm telling you, he's got good stuff," Florida manager Jeff Torborg said. "He was 92 to 95 (mph) locating and with good breaking stuff."

Both teams were coming off long Sundays at the ballpark, followed by cross-country flights. The Diamondbacks swept two from the Mets in New York, and Florida played the longest game in the franchise's history, a 7-6, 20-inning home loss to St. Louis that lasted six hours and seven minutes.

"It was a tough day for both ballclubs," said Brenly, whose team has won eight of 12 after a 3-11 start. "Fortunately, we put two Ws on the board and unfortunately for them they lost a tough one late. That tends to take a lot out of a ballclub."

Lowell's three doubles tied a Marlins' record.

"I figure if yesterday's game would have gone 13 innings, I might have hit one of those out," Lowell joked. "I like playing here. I see the ball good."

Wayne, recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque when A.J. Burnett was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday, got the start in place of Carl Pavano, one of eight pitchers used by Florida on Sunday. Wayne allowed four runs and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings.

Craig Counsell opened the game with a walk, then Spivey hit Wayne's 3-2 pitch into the left-field seats for a quick 2-0 Arizona lead.

Arizona added a run in the fourth when Matt Williams led off with a double. After one out, Barajas doubled Williams home.

The Diamondbacks made it 4-0 in the fifth after consecutive singles by Spivey and Luis Gonzalez put runners at first and third with no outs. Spivey scored on Danny Bautista's sacrifice fly to center.

Florida cut the lead to 4-1 in the sixth. Juan Pierre led off with an infield single, then Luis Castillo extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single to put runners on first and second with no outs. The runners advanced on a double-steal when Pudge Rodriguez struck out. Pierre scored on Juan Encarnacion's groundout.

Arizona added three in the ninth on Steve Finley's RBI double and run-scoring singles by Barajas and Counsell.

Notes

Burnett will undergo elbow surgery on Tuesday and may be lost for the season. ... The Diamondbacks, who have won four of five, began a 10-game homestand.