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Aug 6, 2009 - 4:58 AM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

Florida (55-51) at Washington (35-72), 12:35 p.m. EDT

Taking advantage of a lowly Washington team has helped keep the Florida Marlins in the NL playoff hunt. Suddenly, however, the Nationals are refusing to be a doormat.

After being dominated by the Marlins in recent years, the Nationals have a chance for a three-game sweep Thursday.

Florida (55-52), trying to make the postseason for the first time since winning the World Series in 2003, remains in contention in the NL East and wild-card races. The Marlins helped their cause by winning their first nine meetings with the Nationals (36-72), who have the major league's worst record.

Washington, though, is a win away from its first sweep of Florida since a three-game set from Sept. 3-5, 2007. The Marlins had won 25 of the previous 30 matchups.

But Florida has run into a Washington club that seems to be gaining confidence under interim manager Jim Riggleman, who is 10-6 since replacing Manny Acta on July 12. The Nationals have tied a season high with four straight wins.

"It's good for them to realize that we can win these close games," Riggleman said. "It's been tough for us to win close games."

Productive play at the plate has sparked Washington's run. Christian Guzman fell a home run shy of the cycle and Adam Dunn homered in his third straight game in the Nationals' latest win.

Guzman is batting .471 with two homers, two triples, five doubles and 15 RBIs over his last 12 games. The veteran shortstop is hitting .441 in his last eight home games against the Marlins, driving in 10 runs over that span.

Dunn, meanwhile, is putting together one of his best seasons in his first year with the Nationals, hitting a career-best. 280. The right fielder has 29 homers and three in his last four contests versus the Marlins.

"Winning fixes a lot of things," Dunn said. "We've been playing good the last couple of weeks, and hopefully we can continue that the rest of the season."

Dunn is 3 for 5 against Chris Volstad (8-9, 4.35 ERA), who is set to take his turn in the rotation for the Marlins. He has given up two runs or fewer in three of his last five starts.

The right-hander allowed two runs in 6 2-3 innings against the Chicago Cubs on Friday night, but he did not receive a decision as Florida won 5-2.

Volstad is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in two career starts against the Nationals.

Washington will counter with Craig Stammen (3-6, 4.96), who is 0-1 with a 12.91 ERA in his last two outings. The rookie right-hander gave up six runs and eight hits in three innings Saturday night, suffering a loss as Washington was defeated 11-6 by Pittsburgh.

Stammen struggled the first time he faced the Marlins. He yielded four runs and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings of a 7-5 Nationals loss June 30.

Stammen will face a Marlins lineup coming off a game in which it missed a number of scoring chances, stranding eight.

Dan Uggla, though, remained hot for Florida, hitting a solo homer and adding a two-run single. Uggla has reached base in seven of eight plate appearances in this series, collecting two hits and walking four times.