=== Nationals and Marlins begin key four-game set ===

(My Sportsbook) - The durable Livan Hernandez makes his 30th start of the season today, as the Washington Nationals kick off a pivotal four-game series against the Florida Marlins at RFK Stadium.

Five teams are within 2 1/2 games of the National League wild card lead, and the Marlins and Nationals are among the contenders. Florida is tied with Houston for second place in the standings, one-half game behind Philadelphia. Washington is two games off the pace.

Hernandez will reach the 30-start plateau for an eighth consecutive season. The right-hander will try to notch 15 victories for the third time in his career, having previously accomplished the feat in 2000 with San Francisco and in 2003 with Montreal.

Hernandez, who pitched for the Marlins from 1996-99 and helped the team to a World Series title in '97, is 9-5 versus his former club. He earned only one win in August, going 1-2 with a 6.69 ERA, and is coming off a no-decision on Wednesday at Atlanta, when he gave up 10 hits and three runs in 7 1/3 innings.

Jason Vargas toes the rubber for the Marlins. The rookie left-hander was pounded for 10 hits and seven runs in five innings of a defeat at home against the Cardinals last Wednesday. Vargas, who will be looking to avoid losing back-to-back starts for the first time in his career, has never faced the Nationals.

Florida starts a make-or-break 11-game road trip today. After this series, Jack McKeon's team will head to Philadelphia for three games and to Houston for four before returning to Miami.

The Marlins took two of three games from the New York Mets over the weekend, but lost 7-1 yesterday. A.J. Burnett suffered the loss as he was charged with five runs and seven hits over five shaky innings. Burnett, who has dropped three straight outings, walked one and fanned nine.

Juan Encarnacion had two hits and scored the lone run for the Marlins.

The Nationals won the final two contests of a three-game set at home against the Phillies. Yesterday, Esteban Loaiza pitched eight strong innings and Brian Schneider and Preston Wilson each hit three-run homers to help Washington to a 6-1 victory. Wilson finished with three hits for the Nationals.

Loaiza (10-10) matched a career-best with 11 batters while allowing only one run on four hits to improve to 3-2 in his last five starts. Loaiza threw 129 pitches, 88 for strikes, on only three days of rest.

The Marlins are 6-5 this season against the Nationals.