MIAMI (AP) – Orlando Hernandez won his first start with the New York Mets and Carlos Beltran homered in a 7-3 victory over the Florida Marlins on Sunday.

Hernandez (3-4), who was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, allowed three runs and five hits in five innings. He struck out seven and walked three. He was lifted for pinch hitter Kaz Matsui in the sixth.

The Mets never trailed after scoring four runs off Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco in the first. Florida cut it to 5-3 but Beltran hit a two-run homer in the fourth, his 14th of the season.

Jose Reyes also finished with three hits as the Mets won their third straight series. New York finished 4-2 on its six-game road trip at Florida and Philadelphia.

Jeremy Hermida hit a three-run homer off Hernandez in the second inning to pull Florida within one. Hermida hit Hernandez’s 1-1 pitch over the right-field wall for his first home run of the season.

Jose Valentin singled in Carlos Delgado to give the Mets a 5-3 lead in the third. Valentin started in place of Matsui, who got a day off after going 2-20 in his last five games.

Nolasco (3-2) allowed seven runs and 10 hits in four innings. He made his second start of the season after 11 appearances as a reliever.

Cliff Floyd had an RBI single, Delgado drove in a run with a groundout and Valentin added a sacrifice fly in New York’s four-run first inning.

Notes: Mets C Paul Lo Duca extended his hitting streak to 12 with a single in the fourth. Lo Duca played in his 1,000th game at Dolphin Stadium. He spent the 2005 season and part of 2004 with Florida. … The Marlins have hit home runs in six consecutive games.

AP-ES-05-28-06 1612EDT