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Nats continue quest for NL's best record in Miami

Sep 18, 2014 - 2:49 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The best record in the National League is still up for grabs and the Washington Nationals will try to achieve that goal when they open a four-game series with the Miami Marlins Thursday.

The NL East-champion Nationals are 87-64 this season and failed in their attempt of a three-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves with Wednesday's 3-1 setback at Turner Field.

Blake Treinen pitched well in the start, throwing five scoreless innings, and Ross Detwiler was saddled with the loss for allowing three runs in the sixth inning.

Steven Souza Jr. homered for the Nationals, who had won four in a row and rested their usual starters after clinching a second NL East title in the last three seasons with a win on Tuesday.

"It was good to give (the regulars) a day off," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "They needed one bad."

Washington has hit at least one home run in 22 straight road games, two off the longest streak in MLB history (Baltimore, 1996).

A well-rested Gio Gonzalez draws the start Thursday and the lefty is 8-10 with a 3.79 earned run average. Gonzalez had a two-game winning streak stopped in last Friday's 4-3 road loss to the New York Mets and was reached for four runs -- three earned -- in 6 2/3 innings.

Gonzalez has allowed three runs in four of his past six outings and is 4-7 in 13 road assignments. But in seven career meetings with the Marlins, Gonzalez is 5-2 with a 1.53 ERA.

The Marlins will begin their final homestand of the season, a seven-game stay versus Washington and Philadelphia. They went 4-5 on a recent trip and took two of three matchups from the Mets at Citi Field.

In Wednesday's 4-3 triumph, Henderson Alvarez threw six innings of two-run ball and Donovan Solano went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Marcell Ozuna also had three hits, while Christian Yelich and Garrett Jones posted an RBI apiece.

"He was throwing the ball well, he threw a lot of strikes," Marlins catcher Jeff Mathis said of Alvarez. "

The Marlins learned Wednesday that All-Star outfielder Giancarlo Stanton will not play again in 2014. He sustained multiple injuries when he was struck on the left side of his face by a fastball on Sept. 11. The 24-year-old leads the National League with 37 homers.

"He's made tremendous progress," Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill said. "But there was still some swelling, then the multiple fractures. There just wasn't enough time, not enough schedule, to get him back on the field."

Miami is clinging to faint playoff hopes and is seven games off the second wild card spot in the National League. It will send Brad Hand to the mound Thursday and he is 3-7 with a 4.36 ERA. Hand, a left-hander, is 1-5 in his last six decisions and was beaten by Philadelphia in Saturday's 2-1 road loss, charged with both runs and four hits in six innings.

Hand has faced the Nationals eight times (6 starts) in his career and is winless (0-4) over 27 2/3 innings with a 7.48 ERA.

Washington has a 6-5 edge against Miami this season and the NL East rivals will close out the season with four games at Nationals Park.