Marlins 11, Braves 4

ATLANTA (AP) --Dontrelle Willis is pretty good most of the time. In April, the Florida left-hander is nearly perfect.

Willis pitched seven strong innings and the Marlins pounded out 12 hits to beat the Atlanta Braves 11-4 Friday night.

It was also the first game and win for Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez against the Braves, where he was the third-base coach the previous four seasons.

"I didn't relax one bit until it was over," said Gonzalez, who smiled but didn't say much about the meaning of the win.

"I told him congrats," said Willis, who moved closer to a record held by Babe Ruth.

Willis (3-0) is 12-1 with a .923 winning percentage in April. That's the second-best career percentage in April to the 13-1, .929 of Ruth, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Willis never thought about the record because he had no idea of it.

"Not at all. No disrespect to him (Ruth), but I didn't know about it," said Willis, who was well aware of his April handiwork.

"Yeah. It's one of those weird things in baseball. I wish I could pitch like I do in April for six months," he said.

Willis' only loss in 18 April starts was last season, a 3-1 setback at Chicago. The 25-year-old will try to match Ruth's record next week -- probably Wednesday -- at the New York Mets.

Hanley Ramirez had two hits and scored three runs for the Marlins, who had lost two straight. Cody Ross, Dan Uggla, Miguel Olivo and Joe Borchard drove in two runs apiece.

Willis allowed three earned runs and eight hits. He struck out five and walked one over 107 pitches.

Florida jumped on Atlanta starter Mark Redman (0-2) for five runs in the first inning. Olivo drove in two with a bases-loaded single. Ross followed with a two-run double and scored on a sacrifice fly from Aaron Boone.

"With Dontrelle on the mound, you're digging yourself a hole you don't want to be in," Atlanta's Chipper Jones said. "You know that you've got to score six right out of the gate. It's a full task."

The Marlins added two more in the third on Borchard's two-run single, ending the night for Redman, who allowed six hits and seven earned runs in 2 2-3 innings.

Jones hit a two-run homer off Willis in the third as Atlanta lost its second in a row. Andruw Jones scored on Willis' balk in the sixth.

"I'm shocked that it went out. He jammed me. It's a shame it couldn't have come on a happier night," Chipper Jones said of his second home run of the season.

Atlanta's Chad Paronto left with a strained muscle in the seventh inning, limping off the mound after throwing a third strike past Ross. Manager Bobby Cox said Paronto would likely go on the 15-day disabled list on Saturday.

The Marlins added two unearned runs in the eighth when right-fielder Jeff Francoeur dropped Borchard's fly ball. Miguel Cabrera had a RBI single and Josh Willingham added a run-scoring groundout.

Notes:@ Redman's ERA soared from 7.94 to 12.96 in two starts. He has allowed 12 runs in 8 1-3 innings. In his first start, an 11-1 loss to the Mets, Redman pitched 5 2-3 innings, giving up nine hits and five earned runs. ... Willis improved to 5-4 against the Braves, beating them for the third consecutive time and has a career 61-39 record. ... Matt Diaz, who started in left field for Atlanta, moved to first base in the eighth, his first time ever at that position.