Washington @ Miami preview

Last Meeting ( May 28, 2014 ) Miami 8, Washington 5

After the best seven-game road trip in franchise history, the Miami Marlins return home looking to gain more ground in National League East. The Marlins have won seven of their last eight games overall as they host the first-place Washington Nationals on Monday in the opener of a three-game series. Miami went 6-1 on its journey through Atlanta and Houston to pull within seven games of the Nationals (57-45), who have won their last four series and are a season-best 12 games over .500.

Jayson Werth has belted three homers and knocked home 10 runs in eight games this season against the Marlins, who had lost six in a row before their surge. “We went through a stretch where we had some struggles,” Miami manager Mike Redmond told mlb.com. “Right now, our guys are going good and they’re feeding off each other.” Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton (23 homers) was 7-for-27 on the trip with four RBIs, but struck out in his last six at-bats.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Jordan Zimmermann (6-5, 3.20 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Nathan Eovaldi (5-6, 4.20)

Zimmermann has struggled in his last two starts, allowing eight runs over 8 1/3 innings, after yielding two or fewer in seven straight outings. The Wisconsin native is 1-0 despite a 6.59 ERA this season in three starts against the Marlins, giving up two runs over seven innings in the victory April 14 at Miami. Stanton is 7-for-24 with three homers against Zimmermann, who has struck out 107 and walked 20 over 118 innings in 2014.

Eovaldi looks to turn his season around after collecting just one victory in his last 10 starts, including a pair of rough turns since the All-Star break. The 24-year-old Texan gave up 13 runs in 11 innings his last two outings, but did beat the Nationals with 6 1/3 innings of two-run ball May 26 to improve to 2-2 lifetime against them. Adam LaRoche is 5-for-11 with a homer versus Eovaldi, who has walked only 26 in 130 2/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Nationals won the first four games in the season series, but the Marlins responded to win three of the last four.

2. Washington leadoff batter CF Denard Span boasts a .457 on-base percentage this month after matching a career high with four walks Sunday.

3. Miami LF Christian Yelich has recorded at least two hits in 12 of 22 games and is batting .341 overall during July.

PREDICTION: Marlins 5, Nationals 4