MIAMI (Ticker) -- Dontrelle Willis excelled on the mound and at the plate for the Florida Marlins , and it showed in the box score and on his jersey.

The reigning National League Rookie of the Year, Willis tossed 7 2/3 strong innings and went 3-for-3 as the Marlins blanked the Montreal Expos , 3-0, in the rubber game of a three-game series.

Willis (1-0) scattered five hits with a walk and eight strikeouts and also played a key role in the Marlins' two-run fifth inning.

"I'm going to do what got me here - whatever it takes to win," Willis said. "We won, all that stuff is irrelevant. If we would have lost, it wouldn't have mattered. It's fun to have a zero ERA, but it's not going to stay that way."

Willis showed no signs of a sophomore jinx. Last year, Florida was 19-8 in games he started.

"Dontrelle was outstanding," Marlins manager Jack McKeon said. "He was sharp tonight, he went after hitters. ... He's an athlete, he can do many things - pitch, swing the bat, run, kick a football. ... He can probably play a little soccer, too."

After Mike Lowell 's leadoff homer in the second gave Florida the lead, Willis singled with one out in the fifth. Luis Castillo and Miguel Cabrera followed with RBI base hits off starter Tomo Ohka (0-1) to make it 3-0.

Willis became the first Florida pitcher to collect three hits in a game since Chris Hammond on July 13, 1995. He also had three against San Francisco in Game Four of last year's National League Division Series.

Willis also made a diving attempt to catch a pop-up by Luis Lopez in the fourth. When he scored from second on Castillo's single, he slid in ahead of the tag by catcher Brian Schneider .

"That's how I play," Willis said. "My uniform is always dirty, I'm always diving for balls. I love this game."

"It's a little scary," Marlins catcher Mike Redmond said. "He gives 110 percent. That's apparent when he (goes into) a full dive for a pop fly. That was great. As a player, it pumps you up."

Willis retired 12 straight batters before walking Jose Vidro with one out in the eighth. After Carl Everett bounced into a fielder's choice, Chad Fox got Orlando Cabrera to fly out. Armando Benitez tossed a scoreless ninth for his second save.

When Willis came to bat in the sixth, Expos manager Frank Robinson pulled Ohka for reliever Sun-Woo Kim.

"When you can't get the pitcher out, you're in trouble," Robinson said. "Hey, try somebody else. It can't get any worse. That may be the first time I've gone with a new pitcher with the pitcher hitting."

Ohka allowed all three runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.