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Marlins take on Nationals trying to gain more ground

Jul 28, 2014 - 3:03 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Don't look now, but the Miami Marlins are in contention.

A recent run of high-caliber starting pitching has put the traditionally forgotten Marlins back in the mix in the National League's postseason race, and they'll try to continue the surge on Monday night when they host the Washington Nationals in the first of three games at Marlins Park.

Miami enters the series having won four games in a row and six of seven following the conclusion of a three-game interleague series sweep in Houston over the weekend.

"It feels good that we were able to come in here and not have a letdown after a great series in Atlanta," manager Mike Redmond said. "I think that's probably the biggest thing. We did what we needed to do to win, and that's a good feeling out there right now."

The Marlins have posted a composite 2.50 earned run average during the last eight games and have seen their bullpen performers limit foes to a .141 batting average. Still, their starters have recently struggled at home, while losing eight of their last 11 games there with a 5.55 ERA.

Washington, though, is equally hot, having also won six of eight while posting a 2.83 ERA.

The Nationals lead the NL East by 1 1/2 games over Atlanta and have a seven- game gap between themselves and the Marlins.

Jordan Zimmermann has allowed eight earned runs in 8 1/3 innings over two iffy starts against Philadelphia and Colorado that sandwiched the All-Star break, but he insists he's not dealing with a physical ailment.

"I was just missing over the middle," he said. "I'd get two strikes and then miss over the middle, and it seemed to be a double or a triple every time. It seems like I had my hands full every inning."

He's faced Miami three times this season and won one decision while recording a 6.59 earned run average. Washington has beaten the Marlins in seven of his last eight starts, which have yielded a 5-0 record for Zimmermann and a composite 3.33 ERA.

Meanwhile, the Marlins seek a first win from Nathan Eovaldi in more than a month.

He won his last game on June 23 and is 0-3 with a 6.39 ERA in five subsequent starts. He was nicked for five runs in seven innings on Wednesday in a 6-1 loss to Atlanta.

"Where we are right now with him, for him to win games at the big league level, he's going to have to eliminate those big numbers in an inning," Redmond said.

In four meetings with the Nationals, he's gone 2-2 with a 5.06 ERA.