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Jul 18, 2010 - 3:53 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Washington (40-50) at Florida (42-47), 1:10 p.m. EDT

The Florida Marlins are struggling to score. The Washington Nationals can relate.

The Marlins look to take two of three from their NL East rivals Sunday when this pitching-dominated series concludes at Sun Life Stadium.

After losing 4-0 on Friday - its fourth shutout defeat this season - Florida (43-37) rebounded Saturday with a 2-0 victory over the Nationals. The Marlins, who have scored three runs or fewer in eight of 12 games this month, were outhit 11-4, but Ronny Paulino had a two-run single to help them even the series.

Washington (40-51), which was at least temporarily denied its first series win on the road since May 10-12 against the New York Mets, went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position Saturday while leaving 10 runners on base. Nationals first baseman Adam Dunn, who is batting .481 with five homers and 10 RBIs in his last seven games, struck out three times and left five runners on base.

"I look at it as the glass half full," said manager Jim Riggleman. "That many hits, we are going to have some good things happen."

Washington will try to fare better in the series finale against Marlins rookie Alex Sanabia (0-1, 3.09 ERA), who will make his second career start.

The 21-year-old right-hander, who had previously been working out of the bullpen, threw 3 1-3 innings while scattering five hits and walking one in last Sunday's 2-0 victory at Arizona, getting the start after Chris Volstad was sent to Triple-A New Orleans. Making his first start since June 19 with Double-A Jacksonville, Sanabia was limited to 65 pitches.

The Diamondbacks put a pair of runners on with no outs in the first inning, but Sanabia wiggled out of the jam.

"With first and third, nobody out, I was just trying to minimize that as much as possible," Sanabia said. "I wasn't going to pitch around them. I was trying to attack them."

Sanabia has never faced the Nationals, who will counter with Craig Stammen (2-3, 5.79). The right-hander is 0-1 in four career starts versus the Marlins, including two this season. He allowed four runs and seven hits over four innings of a 7-1 loss at Florida on May 1.

Reigning NL batting champ Hanley Ramirez is 1 for 6 with two strikeouts in this series, but is 6 for 10 with two doubles and a homer lifetime versus Stammen.

Stammen did not earn a decision in his last start July 10, giving up four runs and six hits in Washington's 10-5 home loss to San Francisco.

However, he could help the Nationals bounce back from their fifth shutout of the season. Stammen had an RBI double in his last game and is batting .259 with six RBIs - tied for third in runs batted in among all major league pitchers.

Marlins left fielder Chris Coghlan said he will sit out the series finale after leaving Saturday's game in the fifth inning with a strained lower back. Last season's NL rookie of the year is hitless in his last 16 at-bats.

Florida has alternated wins with losses in its last nine games.