WASHINGTON (AP) – Ryan Zimmerman hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth to lift the Washington Nationals over the Florida Marlins 6-4 Tuesday.

It was Zimmerman’s second game-winning homer in less than three weeks. He hit a two-run homer in the ninth to beat the New York Yankees 3-2 on June 18.

The Nationals won their fourth straight, and the Marlins dropped their third in a row.

Zimmerman hit a 2-2 pitch from Florida closer Joe Borowski (0-2) over the left-field fence with Robert Fick on second and All-Star Alfonso Soriano on first. He was mobbed by his teammates at home plate, and then he came out for a curtain call.

Chad Cordero (4-3) pitched 1 1-3 innings for the win.

The Marlins led 4-3 after All-Star Miguel Cabrera scored on a botched double play in the eighth. With runners at first and second, Joe Borchard hit a grounder to third baseman Zimmerman, who went to second for the forceout. But Jose Vidro’s relay throw to first bounced in the dirt and bounded away from Nick Johnson.

Cabrera raced in from third and beat Johnson’s throw to the plate to give the Marlins the lead.

Hanley Ramirez homered and scored two runs for the Marlins. His fifth drive of the season off Jon Rauch in the seventh tied it at 3.

Marlins starter Scott Olsen allowed three runs, two earned, and four hits in six innings. He walked four and struck out six.

Olsen allowed a second-inning homer to Marlon Byrd and he narrowly avoided another run in the fifth when pinch-runner Ramon Ortiz, a starting pitcher, was thrown out at the plate after Alfonso Soriano doubled.

John Patterson allowed two runs and four hits, walked one and struck out five in five innings for the Nationals. He is winless in three starts since returning from two months on the disabled list with a right forearm strain.

After retiring the first nine batters he faced, Patterson struggled in the fourth. Ramirez walked and scored on All-Star Dan Uggla’s RBI double. Uggla then scored on Cabrera’s single to make it 2-1.

Notes: Nationals LHP Mike Stanton, who pitched a scoreless sixth, appeared in his 1,072nd game, breaking a tie with Dennis Eckersley for third on baseball’s career appearances list. Jesse Orosco is the leader with 1,252 games pitched, followed by John Franco’s 1,119. … Nationals utility player Marlon Anderson sat out the game with a strained ribcage muscle on his left side. He is listed as day to day. … Soriano’s two steals in the first inning gave him 20 for the season to go along with 26 home runs. He is the franchise’s first 20-20 player since Vladimir Guerrero did it for the Montreal Expos in 2002. … Patterson left his last start on June 29 after three innings because of fatigue in his throwing arm. … Olsen has allowed three runs or less and lasted at least six innings in his last seven starts, but he is winless in his last three outings. … The announced attendance was 23,118. On July 4, 2005, a crowd of 44,331 saw the first-place Nationals lose to the New York Mets.

AP-ES-07-04-06 1701EDT