Nationals blank Marlins

MIAMI - Cristian Guzman had three hits and three RBIs, Hector Carrasco pitched six strong innings and the Washington Nationals beat Florida 4-0 Monday night to put the Marlins on the brink of playoff elimination.

Florida has dropped four straight and 10 of 12. Another loss, or a Houston victory, will knock the Marlins out of NL wild-card contention.

Carrasco (5-3), a former reliever making his fourth start this season, allowed two hits, three walks and struck out six. He has not given up a run in his past three starts, spanning 17 2-3 innings.

Jason Vargas (5-5) was the tough-luck loser. He yielded one run and five hits in seven innings.

Ryan Zimmerman's run-scoring single and Guzman's two-run double sparked a three-run eighth against Marlins reliever Antonio Alfonseca.

The victory snapped a three-game skid and gave Washington its second win in nine games. The Nationals moved above.500 again at 79-78.

Washington took 1-0 lead in the second. Nick Johnson led off with a triple to left, where the ball got past a diving Jeff Conine, and scored on Guzman's two-out single.

Guzman, hitting.215 overall, is batting.338 (23-for-68) in his past 21 games.

Jason Bergmann, Joey Eischen and Gary Majewski finished the five-hitter, Washington's ninth shutout this season.

Nationals right fielder Jose Guillen left after being hit by a pitch in the third inning. Guillen has a bruised left hand and is day-to-day.

Notes: Marlins LF Miguel Cabrera was not in the lineup because he was serving a one-game suspension for violating a team rule.... Florida's Mike Lowell was back at third base after starting the previous three games at second. Joe Dillon started at second.