(Sports Network) - The Florida Marlins hope to end a nine-game road trip on a winning note in tonight's rubber match with the Atlanta Braves from Turner Field.

Florida has gone 4-4 thus far on the swing, which also featured stops in San Francisco and Arizona, but has lost ground in the National League East race during the course of the trip. The Marlins are currently 5 1/2 games behind the division-leading New York Mets, with second-place Philadelphia a half-game off the lead.

The Marlins will host the Mets for three important games beginning Friday.

Florida evened their record on the trek, as well as this three-game series with the Braves, behind a masterful performance from starting pitcher Josh Johnson on Wednesday. The right-hander threw his first complete game in leading the Marlins to a 4-1 victory.

Johnson (4-0) took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and yielded just four hits along with the one Atlanta run. He struck out eight in an impressive 113- pitch effort.

Hanley Ramirez delivered a two-run single and Dan Uggla finished 2-for-3 with a solo homer and scored three times for the Marlins. Ramirez also collected two hits on the night.

Mike Hampton (2-2) pitched well for the Braves in defeat, with the oft-injured southpaw working eight innings and allowing three runs while fanning five.

Atlanta has now lost eight of its last 10 games and is just 3-13 since August 10.

Anibal Sanchez will be attempting to duplicate Johnson's outstanding showing when he takes the mound for the Marlins this evening. Like Johnson, Sanchez missed the entire first half of the season due to injury but has been provided a boost to the Florida rotation with his return. The 24-year-old, who did not pitch until July 31 due to shoulder surgery, has gone 2-2 with a 3.99 earned run average in his five season starts.

Sanchez is coming off a rather shaky outing on Friday, when he gave up four runs and eight hits through 6 1/3 innings in a no-decision at Arizona. The right-hander did struck out seven Diamondbacks while issuing just one walk, however.

The native Venezuelan has made two career starts against Atlanta, both of which came at Turner Field during the 2006 season, and is 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA versus the Braves.

Atlanta counters with the badly struggling Charlie Morton, who enters tonight's tilt having lost six of his last seven starts and lasted a mere 1 1/3 innings his most recent time out. That came at St. Louis on Friday, with the rookie surrendering four runs and walking five batters in an 18-3 Braves' setback.

Over his last three starts, all of which have been losses, Morton has allowed 11 runs and issued 11 walks in just 9 2/3 innings.

The 24-year-old's rough seven-start stretch began with a defeat by the Marlins in Miami on July 22. He gave up just two hits over 5 2/3 innings in that contest, but four walks by the right-hander led to four Florida runs.

Atlanta leads the 2008 season series with Florida by an 8-6 margin and has won four of the last six matchups between the teams. The Braves are 5-3 at Turner Field versus the Marlins this season.