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Ramirez, Hayes homer in Marlins' 4th straight win

Sep 6, 2009 - 2:57 AM WASHINGTON(AP) -- Hanley Ramirez homered, Josh Johnson earned his 14th win and the Florida Marlins beat Washington 9-5 on Saturday night, handing the woeful Nationals their season-high eighth consecutive loss.

Pinch-hitter Brett Hayes also homered for the Marlins and Johnson (14-4) allowed two hits over five innings. The right-hander walked three, struck out one and retired his final 11 batters in Florida's fourth straight victory. He is 7-2 in his last 10 starts, and 5-0 in his career against the Nationals.

Washington's losing streak is the longest since the team dropped 12 straight from Aug. 8-20, 2008.

Ramirez had three RBIs and Jorge Cantu and Cody Ross two each for the Marlins, who stayed four games behind Colorado for the NL wild card. Chris Coghlan had three hits.

Florida took advantage of Livan Hernandez's wildness to build a 3-0 lead in the first. Cameron Maybin and Ramirez drew one-out walks before an RBI double by Cantu. After John Baker struck out, Dan Uggla walked to load the bases and Ross followed with a two-run single.

Johnson's brief control problems allowed the Nationals to get to 3-1 in the second. Washington loaded the bases on Adam Dunn's single and two walks before Pete Orr punched an RBI single to right - the last hit the Nationals would get until the sixth.

Maybin's sacrifice fly and Ramirez's two-run homer, his 20th, made it 6-1 in the fourth.

Hernandez (7-10) was pulled after allowing six runs and eight hits over five innings. He walked four and struck out six.

Hayes, batting for Johnson, led off the sixth with his first career homer, a shot to left on an 0-2 pitch from Victor Garate, who was making his major league debut. It was Florida's fifth pinch-hit homer this season.

Later in the inning, Cantu's RBI double made it 8-1.

Washington got a run-scoring single by Wil Nieves and a two-run double by pinch-hitter Josh Bard in the seventh.

Ramirez doubled home a run in the eighth.

Pinch-hitter Mike Morse drove in a ninth-inning run with a double for Washington.

NOTES: Coghlan's leadoff single in the first extended his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games. That matches the longest by a rookie this season - Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen from June 11-25. ... Washington 3B Ryan Zimmerman grounded into his team-high 19th double play to end the first.