Washington Nationals (88-64) at Miami Marlins (74-78), 7:10 p.m. (ET)

(SportsNetwork.com) - The Washington Nationals will continue their pursuit of the league's best record Friday in the second portion of a four-game series against the Miami Marlins.

The NL East-champion Nationals are 88-64 and recorded a 6-2 victory over the Marlins on Thursday. Gio Gonzalez threw seven innings of two-run ball, struck out five batters and did not issue a walk for the win.

Bryce Harper had three hits and scored a run, while Jayson Werth, Wilson Ramos, Ian Desmond, Asdrubal Cabrera and Kevin Frandsen had an RBI apiece. Anthony Rendon finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored for the Nationals, who have won nine of their last 12 games.

"It was an all-around team effort for us. A good team win," Nationals manager Matt Williams said.

The Nationals had a streak of 22 straight road games with a home run halted.

Washington, which has a slightly better record than Los Angeles (87-66), will send Doug Fister to the mound Friday. Fister has a 14-6 record to go along with a 2.55 earned run average and has won back-to-back starts, including Saturday's 10-3 road win over the New York Mets.

Fister was reached for three runs -- two earned -- in six innings, and his current winning streak comes on the heels of three straight losses. He is 7-4 in 13 road starts and has faced the Marlins twice (1 start) in his career.

The Marlins opened their final homestand of the season with a loss, their sixth in the last nine tries.

Miami is eight games off the second and final wild card berth in the National League and didn't get much from starting pitcher Brad Hand on Thursday. Hand was touched for six runs -- five earned -- and eight hits in five innings. He was dented for five runs during the fourth inning.

"I left some pitches up when I was ahead in the count," Hand said of the fateful fourth inning.

Jeff Baker had two hits and an RBI in defeat.

Tom Koehler draws the start for the Marlins Friday and is 9-9 with a 3.71 ERA this season. He has won his last two decisions, but hasn't posted one in each of his previous five trips to the mound. In Sunday's 5-4 win at Philadelphia. Koehler gave up three runs (2 earned) and seven hits in six innings.

Koehler has allowed two runs in each of his past four outings and is 6-4 in 13 road assignments this season. He has faced Washington four times in his career, going 2-2 with a 3.75 ERA.

Washington has a 7-5 edge against Miami this season and the NL East rivals will close out the season with four games at Nationals Park.