Washington @ Miami preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 19, 2014 ) Washington 3, Miami 2

With the postseason right around the corner, the Washington Nationals are playing some of their best baseball of the season at the perfect time. Having won 10 of their last 13 games, the Nationals hope to stay hot Saturday when they continue their road series with the Miami Marlins. Washington has limited Miami to two runs in each of the series' first two games, including a 3-2 victory on Friday in which Adam LaRoche hit a two-run homer.

Jordan Zimmermann will get the ball for Washington, which leads the Los Angeles Dodgers by 1 1/2 games in the race for the best record in the National League. Miami will counter with Jarred Cosart, who quietly has put together a productive season while splitting time between Houston and Marlins. The Nationals lead the season series 8-5, although the teams are in a midst of a stretch where they play eight of the final 11 games in the regular season against each other.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), FSN Florida (Miami)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Jordan Zimmermann (12-5, 2.83 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Jarred Cosart (13-9, 3.67)

Zimmermann is riding a stretch of 10 consecutive starts of at least six innings and no more than three earned runs allowed. He pitched 6 2/3 scoreless frames against the New York Mets his last time out and yielded six hits, giving him 10th straight starts without yielding more than seven. Zimmermann has a 5.23 ERA and a .309 opponents batting average in four starts against Miami in 2014.

Cosart has been terrific over his last seven starts, going 4-1 with a 1.52 ERA, following a bumpy performance in his Marlins debut. He has not faced the Nationals since the trade to Miami, but he did face them as a member of the Astros on April 29, allowing two runs in six innings in a no-decision. Jayson Werth homered against Cosart that day, but the 24-year-old has only allowed one home run in 52 2/3 innings since joining the Marlins.

WALK-OFFS

1. Miami has lost seven of its last 10 games with all three of the wins coming by one run.

2. Nationals RHP Drew Storen has not allowed a run since Aug. 5, recording 19 straight scoreless appearances during that span.

3. LaRoche has six home runs this month, but he hasn't doubled since Aug. 24.

PREDICTION: Nationals 5, Marlins 3