BY GEORGE RICHARDS
Andrew Miller gave the Marlins his best start Saturday night since coming over from Detroit, but the way the Florida bats warmed up the cool evening air, it truly wasn't needed.
Plain good would have sufficed.
The Marlins won their sixth consecutive game Saturday night, pounding Washington in a 11-0 victory at Nationals Park.
The Marlins had a 3-0 lead before scoring seven in the fourth inning (four on Dan Uggla's first career grand slam) to win their most lopsided game of the season.
''I think we're pretty good and the guys in here think we're pretty good,'' Miller said. ``We're pretty balanced.''
Florida goes for the sweep at 1:35 p.m. Sunday. The Marlins have won seven of eight against the Nationals this season, including all five played at the team's new ballpark.
The Marlins are in the midst of their longest winning streak since taking nine in a row Aug. 20-29, 2006.
Miller, making his third start against the Nationals this young season, finally found some success against Washington. In his previous two outings, Miller surrendered nine runs and 14 hits in 8 1/3 innings. On Saturday, Miller cruised, not giving up his second hit until there was one out in the sixth.
The 22-year-old from Gainesville won his second consecutive start (he outdueled Greg Maddux last week in Miami) and went deep into a game once more.
Last Sunday's start marked the first time Miller had pitched six full innings this season; On Saturday, he topped that by going seven. Miller (3-2) ended up giving up two hits, walking one with seven strikeouts.
''The name of the game [Saturday] was Miller,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said. ``He was good, he was sharp and he gave us seven innings. . . . He kept his concentration there and kept throwing strikes. The more comfortable he gets on the mound, the more confidence he gets the more successful he's going to be.''
It was fitting that Florida's bats would be so menacing the day after word leaked that the Marlins had a six-year deal for rising star Hanley Ramirez in place.
Cody Ross began the night by driving the game's first pitch over the left-field fence.
''That's all [Miller] needed,'' Ross said.
Florida got its second run in the third, as Ross scored on a wild pitch and Ramirez followed suit on Uggla's sacrifice fly.
The Marlins broke the game open when Mike O'Connor came unglued in the fourth.
Wes Helms led off with a homer to left, and Matt Treanor legged out a double. Miller moved Treanor over with a perfect bunt to third. After Ross walked, Jeremy Hermida made it 4-0 with a broken-bat single past second baseman Felipe Lopez.
O'Connor (1-1) then walked Ramirez and was pulled after falling behind Jorge Cantu 2-0. Reliever Joel Hanrahan didn't fare any better, his first pitch sailing wild allowing Ross to come home. Hanrahan walked Cantu, then gave up a home run to Uggla that landed in the Marlins' bullpen beyond the left-field wall.
Uggla's shot made the score 10-0 and took care of any pressure Miller might have been feeling. Miller, who threw a lot of pitches early, ended with 103 and was done after a 1-2-3 seventh.
Florida scored its final run in the eighth when Hermida singled in Robert Andino. It was the first time Florida scored 11 runs this season. The team has 42 runs in five games at Nationals Park.
''It's a beautiful stadium and maybe there's some excitement about playing in a new park,'' Treanor said. ``This is a great offensive team if you look at the numbers through the season.''
• The Marlins have outscored the Nats 18-3 in the first two games of this series. During the winning streak, Florida has outscored opponents 44-10.
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