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Sanchez solid again as Marlins blank Nats

May 14, 2011 - 11:06 PM Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Anibal Sanchez threw eight innings of shutout ball as the Florida Marlins took a 1-0 win over the Washington Nationals in the second of a three-game set.

Sanchez (3-1) improved to 7-0 in 16 starts against the Nationals as he gave up just three hits with two walks and nine strikeouts.

"I just approach every game the same and try to get ahead in the count," said Sanchez. "My curveball wasn't as good as it was the last time, but my other pitches were working."

Mike Stanton's home run in the seventh helped the Marlins win for a third time in the past four games.

Livan Hernandez (3-5) took the tough-luck loss as he gave up just the home run and six hits over seven innings for the Nationals, who have dropped three straight. Laynce Nix had two of Washington's four hits.

"You'd be surprised at the energy level and confidence level we have in our dugout," said Washington manager Jim Riggleman. "They know they're working hard out there and that it will turn around."

The first and only run of the game didn't come until the seventh inning when Stanton put a 2-2 sinker over the wall in center for a 1-0 lead.

Sanchez retired 14 straight batters until a two-out walk in the sixth, but Washington got its leadoff runner into scoring position in the seventh when Jayson Werth hit a ground-rule double. He moved to third two batters later on an Adam LaRoche groundout, but stayed there as Jerry Hairston Jr. later grounded out to third to end the inning.

Roger Bernadina hit a two-out single in the eighth, but Sanchez got Danny Espinosa to pop out to short to end the frame.

Leo Nunez came on for the ninth and got into trouble as Werth led off with a walk and Nix followed with a single. LaRoche then hit a grounder that resulted in Nix getting forced out at second, but the tying run was now just 90 feet away.

However, Wilson Ramos swung at the first pitch he saw and the result was a pop out in fair territory near first base and Hairston flied out to left as Nunez picked up his 14th save of the season.

Game Notes

The Marlins have 11 one-run victories this season...The Nationals have committed just one error in their past 15 games...Florida is 21-7 all-time in Nationals Park...Hernandez has dropped his past three starts and is now 13-12 in 34 lifetime starts against the Marlins.