=== Nationals pound on Willis for 11-1 win over Marlins ===

Miami, FL (My Sportsbook) - Marlon Byrd went 4-for-5 with a home run and four runs scored for the Washington Nationals, who denied Cy Young candidate Dontrelle Willis his 23rd victory of the season with an 11-1 win at Dolphins Stadium.

Willis (22-10) gave up nine runs on nine hits in four innings of work with three walks and three strikeouts. Only five of those runs were earned, however, as the Marlins' defense committed three costly errors behind him.

Willis is considered one of the two leaders in the NL Cy Young race, along with St. Louis' Chris Carpenter, who currently has one less win.

Juan Pierre went 2-for-5 for Florida, which has dropped five straight and 11 of its last 13. The Marlins are now eliminated from playoff contention.

Five Nationals players had multi-hit days, including Jamey Carroll, who went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Relief pitcher Mike Stanton (3-3) did not allow a run in two innings of work to pick up the win for Washington, which has now taken the first two of this three-game series.

The Nationals capitalized on two Florida errors in the second inning to jump out to a 4-0 lead. After Washington starter Jon Rauch hit a two-out RBI infield single to keep the inning alive, Brad Wilkerson stepped in and bounced a grounder to first that went through Carlos Delgado's legs and into the outfield, scoring Gary Bennett. Carroll followed with an RBI single, and Wilkerson came around to score on a Mike Lowell throwing error one batter later.

Yet another defensive miscue cost the Marlins in the third. Byrd hit his second double of the night to plate Ryan Zimmerman, advanced to third on a catching error by shortstop Robert Andino, then scored on a Bennett sacrifice fly.

Cristian Guzman belted an RBI double in the fifth and Bennett followed with a walk to chase Willis. His replacement, Ismael Valdez, did not fair much better. The righthanded reliever gave up a double to Carroll that scored Guzman and Stanton to put the Nationals on top, 9-0.

Wilkerson drove in Guzman in the sixth with a double to left, and Byrd launched his second home run of the season in the seventh to make it 11-0.

The Marlins finally got on the board in the bottom of the seventh with a Miguel Cabrera RBI single.

Rauch threw three scoreless innings before giving way to Stanton in the fourth.

Game Notes

Willis had surrendered no more than two earned runs in 12 consecutive starts entering Tuesday. He is now 11-6 at home this season..Nationals outfielder Jose Guillen, who left Monday's game in the third inning with a hand injury, was not in the lineup...Florida's record against Washington this season is now 9-8...The Florida offense was in a 21-inning scoreless drought before registering a run in the seventh.