Willis Powers Marlins Past Expos, 9-0

The way Dontrelle Willis has been hitting, the Florida Marlins might be tempted to move him up in the batting order.

Willis hit the second home run of his career and Miguel Cabrera homered for the fourth consecutive game, leading the Marlins over the punchless Montreal Expos, 9-0, Wednesday night.

Willis (2-0) also had a single and a double to finish three for three. He is six for six this season.

The National League rookie of the year in 2003 has seven consecutive hits dating to last season, one shy of the club record held by former Marlins Gary Sheffield and Preston Wilson.

“I didn’t know that at all. That’s really impressive. That’s a great class to be in,” said Willis.

Florida’s cleanup batter, Mike Lowell, said Willis’ ability at the plate changed the way opposing teams pitched against the Marlins.

“They can’t pitch around him. It’s like an American League game when he’s on the mound. I would actually bat him fourth next time,” Lowell said with a smile.

Florida, which had 15 hits, built a 5-0 lead on Lowell’s run-scoring single in the first inning, Hee Seop Choi’s leadoff homer in the second, Mike Redmond’s two-run single in the third and Luis Castillo’s run-scoring single in the fourth following Willis’ leadoff double.

Willis homered in the fifth against Jeremy Fikac.

“We were kidding him in the dugout that they couldn’t show his average in the scoreboard because it didn’t fit,” Cabrera said.

The left-hander gave up four hits in five innings, walked four and struck out four.

Justin Wayne, Nate Bump and Matt Perisho finished the eight-hitter, Florida’s third shutout.

The World Series champions, a major league-best 7-1, have not given up a run in 21 innings.

Manager Jack McKeon said he decided to remove Willis after the fifth inning -- without giving him a chance at the cycle -- because he was having control problems on the mound.

Montreal was shut out for the third time. The Expos have been shut out for 24 innings in a row.