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Marlins, Nats close set in D.C.

Jul 28, 2011 - 2:59 PM (Sports Network) - Rookie lefty Brad Hand makes the sixth start of his career today when the visiting Florida Marlins go for the sweep in the final of a three-game series with the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park.

A 21-year-old Minneapolis native began his major-league career with a 1-0 loss to Atlanta, which was followed by losses to Arizona and Tampa Bay while he eliminated nine hits and five runs in 15 2/3 innings.

Hand emerged from the drought with a no-decision against Texas on July 9 and broke through for win No. 1 on July against Houston.

He allowed two runs over seven scoreless innings against Houston with four hits allowed and four strikeouts.

Hand's never faced the Nationals and is winless in two road starts with a 4.50 earned run average.

The Marlins evened the series with a Wednesday night game two win, when Javier Vazquez pitched seven solid frames and Emilio Bonifacio extended his MLB- leading hitting streak to 25 games in a 7-5 win.

Vazquez (7-9) pitched perhaps his best game of the season, scattering six hits and three walks while surrendering just one run. The veteran right-hander struck out four and received plenty of run support due in part to Mike Cameron's two home runs and John Buck's two-run single. The Marlins have won four straight games.

Washington continued to go in the opposite direction, losing its fourth straight behind another uninspiring offensive effort. One game after mustering just two runs, the Nationals managed only one on Laynce Nix's fourth-inning home run before a furious rally in the ninth frame.

Livan Hernandez (5-10) lost his third decision against his former team this season, giving up four runs on five hits with five strikeouts and three walks over four-plus laboring frames.

For Washington, lefty John Lannan can continue a recent hot stretch with a sixth win in 11 starts. He was 2-5 10 starts ago but has since won five of six decisions, in which the Nationals are 7-3.

Lannan allowed two runs on three hits in 6 1/3 innings to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 22 in California, a start after winning at Atlanta, 5-2.

He's 2-3 in seven career starts against Florida.

Florida now leads the season series against the Nationals by a count of 7-4 and has dominated the relationship since the start of the 2008 campaign with a combined mark of 46-18.