Washington @ Florida preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 26, 2011 ) Washington 6, Florida 4

THE STORY: The Washington Nationals' assignment is clearly defined: win the last two games and claim their first winning season since the franchise moved from Montreal prior to the 2005 season. The Nationals continued their charge by winning for the 13th time in 16 games with a 6-4 triumph over the Florida Marlins on Monday. As for the Marlins, 80-year-old Jack McKeon announced prior to that contest he will not return as the team's manager next season. Several hours later, Chicago White Sox skipper Ozzie Guillen was released from his contract with reports circulating that he will be traded to Florida for a pair of minor leaguers. On Tuesday, Washington lefthander John Lannan takes the mound on his 27th birthday.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Washington), FS Florida

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals LH John Lannan (10-13, 3.73 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Javier Vazquez (12-11, 3.77).

Lannan snapped a two-game skid and collected his second win in eight decisions when he tossed five innings against the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday. Lannan has struggled against the Marlins, dropping five of seven career decisions. He is 0-2 against them this season with a 3-0 loss on Sept. 16 fresh in his mind. A lack of control has been part of the problem as he issued seven walks in the pair of games to run up his pitch counts. Vazquez takes a streak of 25 consecutive scoreless innings into possibly his final start of his major-league career. All told, he has permitted one total run during his five-game winning streak. After the 35-year-old Puerto Rico native scattered five hits in a complete-game gem against the Nationals on Sept. 16, he followed it up by yielding just two hits over seven scoreless innings in his last start versus the Atlanta Braves. Vazquez has posted a 3-2 career mark against the Nationals - including a 2-1 record this season.

ABOUT THE NATIONALS (79-80): Washington's dream of a winning season was nearly dead. With two outs in the ninth and his team trailing by a run, Michael Morse belted a three-run homer to keep the dream alive. Morse deposited an offering from Edward Mujica into the seats in left field for his 30th homer of the season and second in as many games. Morse's home run tally this season doubled last year's effort. Ian Desmond had an RBI double and scored three times on Monday. Desmond has been done in by Vazquez in his career, going 0-for-8.

ABOUT THE MARLINS (71-89): Mujica struggled in his bid for the team's first save since Leo Nunez returned to his native Dominican Republic and admitted playing under an assumed name. Mujica suffered his third blown save of the season after yielding three runs on four hits in one inning. Emilio Bonifacio extended his hitting streak to eight games following a 2-for-5 effort on Monday. Omar Infante collected his third straight multi-hit game and fifth in seven contests. Infante has fared well versus Lannan, going 7-for-15 in his career.

FINAL PITCH: The Nationals' last non-losing season came in 2005, when they posted an 81-81 mark. Their last winning campaign came in 2003 when they went 83-79 as the Montreal Expos.