WASHINGTON -- Right fielder Elijah Dukes has been one of the Nationals' hottest hitters during the month of September, hitting .308 with five home runs and 15 RBIs.

But Dukes also is playing hurt. He was seen hobbling after balls during Thursday's game against the Mets. He is still bothered by the right knee that he hurt in early July against the Reds. He would later have surgery to fix the problem.

Dukes still managed to go 2-for-3 against the Mets on Thursday, however, before being taken out of the game in the top of the ninth inning.

"He is nursing his knee a little bit, so we have to give him [some rest] here and there -- that's what we did in Miami the other day," manager Manny Acta said. "Let's not forget that he had surgery. We are going to monitor him the rest of the way. But that was not the reason he came out of the game. He and Lastings Milledge have played very hard this series."

Pitching matchup
WSH: RHP Collin Balester (3-6, 4.54 ERA)
Making his return to the place he won his Major League debut, Balester had a no-hitter going through 5 2/3 innings and ended up giving up just one run on four hits while striking out five and walking three. Balester retired 11 of the first 12 hitters he faced and, in the first six innings, only allowed one Marlins player to get into scoring position. But because his bullpen gave up seven runs in the bottom of the eighth, the rookie had to settle for the no-decision.

SD: RHP Dirk Hayhurst (0-2, 8.49 ERA)
Jake Peavy was scratched from this start on Friday so he could fly to San Diego early in the day to be with his wife, Katie, who was in labor with the couple's third child. Hayhurst, a rookie, replaced Peavy.

Tidbits
Anderson Hernandez is 9-for-16 (.562) with runners in scoring position this season.

Tickets
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On the Internet
 MLB.TV
 Gameday Audio
•  Gameday
•  Official game notes

On television
• MASN, my20

On radio
• WWWT 1500, SBN 1390 (Español)

Up next
• Saturday: Nationals (John Lannan, 9-13, 3.97) vs. Padres (Chris Young, 5-6, 4.43), 7:10 p.m. ET
• Sunday: Nationals (Odalis Perez, 7-10, 4.26) vs. Padres (Cha Seung Baek, 5-10, 5.06), 1:35 p.m. ET
• Monday: Off-day