(My Sportsbook) - Rookie right-hander Collin Balester finishes off his initial season in the major leagues and tries to keep his Washington Nationals away from triple-digit losses tonight when they host the Florida Marlins in the final test of a three-game set at Nationals Park.

The Nationals enter the game with 99 losses after splitting the first two games of the series and will wrap up their season with a three-game set against Philadelphia this weekend.

A 6-foot-5, 194-pounder, Balester debuted on July 1 with five innings of one- hit, one-run ball en route to a 9-6 defeat of the Marlins in Miami.

He's faced them one more time since, getting a no-decision in an 8-7 loss after surrendering four hits and a run in 6 2/3 innings on September 14.

Young right-hander Anibal Sanchez makes his final start of the season for Florida while eyeing his first road win.

The 24-year-old is 0-3 in four starts away from home while giving up 23 hits and 16 earned runs in just 18 innings.

He's unbeaten lifetime against the Nationals, however, remaining at 3-0 after a no-decision in the Sept. 14 matchup with Balester, in which he allowed four hits and two earned runs in seven innings.

Sanchez, who won 10 times in 18 games in 2006 before injuries held him to just six starts last season, is 0-3 in six starts since downing the Chicago Cubs, 2-1, on Aug. 16.

On Wednesday, Hanley Ramirez and Josh Willingham each homered, as the Marlins defeated Washington, 9-4.

Jeremy Hermida collected three hits and knocked in two runs for Florida, which slammed the brakes on a four-game losing streak. Cameron Maybin went 3- for-3 and scored a run. Josh Johnson (7-1) allowed two runs on six hits in six innings to get the win.

Pete Orr was 2-for-4 and drove in a run for the Nationals, who have dropped six of their last seven contests. Emilio Bonifacio added an RBI triple. Tim Redding (10-11) was rocked for seven runs on seven hits in a season-low 2 2/3 innings.

Florida has won 14 of its 17 meetings with the Nationals this season.