Cabrera homers twice, Willingham once in Fish win

Marlins 5, Nationals 3

MIAMI (AP) -- An injured shoulder no longer prevents Miguel Cabrera from hitting home runs.

Cabrera, who withdrew from Monday night's All-Star Home Run Derby with a shoulder injury, hit two solo home runs and Josh Willingham added another to help the Florida Marlins defeat the Washington Nationals 5-3 on Sunday.

Willingham homered for the third straight game. Cabrera has hit three homers in his past two games.

"Miguel definitely would have put on a show in San Francisco," Willingham said. "He's special to watch."

Scott Olsen (7-7) gave up two runs and six hits in five innings. He walked five and struck out two and improved his home record to 5-2.

Kevin Gregg was the fourth Marlins reliever and earned his 20th save in 21 chances.

Jason Simontacchi (6-7) allowed five runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. He walked four (one intentionally), struck out four and allowed home runs on the first pitch of the second and third innings.

"People like to say that speed kills [but] I think power kills," Nationals manager Manny Acta said. "Those guys outhomered us 9-0 in this series. They've got a powerful lineup."

Dmitri Young had a single and two RBIs for Washington.

Willingham hit a 403-foot home run to right-center leading off the second. It was his 14th home run of the season.

Cabrera hit his 20th homer to start the third to give Florida a 2-1 lead.

"A good hitter hits it out when you leave it over the plate," Simontacchi said. "Why couldn't he hit a single?"

Cabrera then opened the fifth with a 471-foot upper-deck home run to left that gave the Marlins a 4-2 lead.

"I couldn't hit a golf ball that far," Olsen said.

Asked if his left shoulder would have allowed him to hit a ball that far in the Home Run Derby, Cabrera said: "No chance."

Cabrera also homered in Florida's 5-2 win on Saturday night.

"I'm sure he's not 100 percent -- that's the thing that scares you," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "But 90 percent or 85 percent is pretty good."

Miguel Olivo's RBI single with one out in the fifth gave Florida a 5-2 lead and chased Simontacchi.

Young's sacrifice fly in the third scored Simontacchi to tie it at 1. Simontacchi led off with a single on an 0-2 pitch and advanced on Ronnie Belliard's walk and Ryan Zimmerman's single.

Florida went ahead 3-1 when Hanley Ramirez doubled home Alfredo Amezaga with two outs in the fourth. Amezaga had tripled with one out.

The Nationals got within 3-2 in the fifth when Felipe Lopez's two-out, bases-loaded single scored Nook Logan, who had doubled to lead off the inning. Belliard, who singled, was thrown out at the plate on the play by center fielder Amezaga to end the inning.

Young's single off Matt Lindstrom in the seventh pulled Washington within 5-3.

The Marlins have hit at least three homers in three consecutive games for the first time since April 3-5, 2003.

Game notes
Cabrera's 21 career homers against Washington are the most he has hit against any opponent. He has nine career multihomer games. ... Simontacchi and Boston's Tim Wakefield are the only two major league starters to make at least 10 starts and get a decision in each game.... Total attendance for the three-game series was 44,569. .. It was Florida's first home series win since taking two of three from Philadelphia on May 22-24.