Jim Riggleman Calls A Team Meeting Following The Sweep

According to Kristen Hudak of MASNsports.com, Jim Riggleman and his coaches called a team meeting for the Nationals after the team was swept by the Florida Marlins earlier today.

With just three weeks remaining in the season, Riggleman expects better than the effort that has resulted in five straight losses for the Nationals.

Riggleman thought that his team gave a lackluster effort, one that warranted a team meeting where each coach spoke about giving a better effort for the remaining games.

"I just thought our energy level, our body language early in the game, was not up to the standards it's going to take for us to be a ballclub that goes to the next level. I just didn't feel like we were getting after it early," Riggleman said.

The team will head to Atlanta tomorrow where we'll find out if Riggleman's message had an effect on his players.

Marlins Defeat Nationals, 6-5, To Complete Series Sweep

Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Mike Stanton slugged two home runs and drove in three as the Marlins held on for a 6-5 win and a three-game sweep of Washington at Nationals Park.

Stanton hit Nos. 19 and 20 on the year with the rookie ending 3-for-4 with a walk. Emilio Bonifacio was also 3-for-4 and scored twice with an RBI and walk as Florida won for the eighth time in 12 games.

Chris Volstad was shaky at best in 4 2/3 innings, charged with eight hits and five runs, four of those earned.Brian Sanches (1-2) pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to get the win.

Jordan Zimmerman (0-1), making his fourth start of the season, was roughed up for five hits and five runs -- four earned -- in only three innings for the Nationals, who lost their fifth straight.

Ivan Rodriguez knocked in three of Washington's runs, while Ryan Zimmerman and Roger Bernadina each collected two hits and an RBI.

Nationals Look To Salvage A Game Against Marlins

(Sports Network) - Marlins right-hander Chris Volstad aims for a third defeat of Washington since the start of August today, when Florida meets the Nationals in the finale of a three-game series in DC.

The Marlins clinched a series win with their second straight victory Saturday night, as Anibal Sanchez pitched 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball to help Florida beat Washington, 4-1.

Sanchez (12-9) added to his career-high win total after allowing four hits while fanning four without walking a batter for the Marlins, who have won seven of their last 11 games.

Emilio Bonifacio had two hits and drove in two runs, while Logan Morrison reached base for the 31st straight game with an RBI single.

Clay Hensley notched his second career save with a scoreless ninth.

Wilson Ramos' RBI double accounted for Washington's offense, as the Nats lost their fourth straight. Jason Marquis (2-8) was the hard-luck loser after yielding two runs, five hits and a walk while striking out eight in six innings.

Volstad, who was 5-8 at the end of July, defeated Washington on Aug. 11 at Nationals Park and followed up with a 16-10 victory over the visitors in a Sept. 1 rematch in Miami.

The 23-year-old, a first-round pick of the Marlins in 2005, is unbeaten in his last four starts overall since a 7-1 loss at Pittsburgh on Aug. 11.

In those four starts, he's 3-0 with a no-decision while allowing 29 hits and 14 runs in 24 innings.

Volstad is 5-1 in eight career starts against Washington with a 5.27 earned run average in 42 2/3 innings.

He's 5-5 in 13 starts on the road this season.

For the Nationals, second-year righty Jordan Zimmerman makes his fourth start of the season.

The 24-year-old debuted in 2010 with a four-inning stint in an 11-10 defeat of St. Louis on Aug. 26 and has since gotten no-decisions against Florida and the New York Mets while surrendering four hits and three runs in 10 innings.

The appearance against the Marlins featured six innings of scoreless one-hit ball in a game Florida won, 1-0, on Aug. 31.

In that game, Zimmerman walked none and struck out nine.

In two career starts against the Marlins stretching back to last season, he's allowed just two runs on seven hits in 12 innings while walking one batter and striking out 15.