"I've never made a team as a starter," he said. "That's what I want to do. I came in this spring with the attitude I was a minor league pitcher, just so I don't take anything for granted."

With a 19-11 record and 3.54 ERA in 53 career games, Johnson is a contender to start on opening day. He's fully recovered from reconstructive elbow surgery in August 2007 and enjoying his first healthy spring since his rookie season three years ago, when he broke into the rotation early in the year and finished 12-7.

Manager Fredi Gonzalez smiled when asked about Johnson's chances of making the team.

"It looks good right now," Gonzalez said. "Josh threw real good. We were tempted to run him back out there another inning."

Johnson threw 38 of his 51 pitches for strikes, but successor Ricky Nolasco was less successful. Nolasco, another contender for the opening-day assignment, pitched two innings and allowed three runs, including a homer by Michael Costanzo.

"I feel fine; just not good results," said Nolasco, who has allowed eight runs in five innings this spring. "They made me pay for the pitches I didn't make. I'm not too worried, as long as I still feel strong."

The Italians improved to 1-1 against major league teams. They open the World Baseball Classic on Saturday against Venezuela at Toronto.

Italian bench coach Mike Hargrove said the team embraces its underdog status in the WBC.

"On the TV and in the newspapers, all you hear about are the Dominicans and the USA," Hargrove said. "They're the favorites and should be. But we may end up surprising a lot of people."

The Marlins can be grateful they're not in the tournament. They've been outscored 15-2 and outhit 29-9 in two games against WBC-bound teams.

Italian starter Dan Serafini limited Florida to one run in four innings. Nick Punto, Francisco Cervelli and Chris Denorfia had two hits apiece for Italy.

Prospect Logan Morrison had two of Florida's five hits.

The score was 1-1 when Johnson departed. He said his arm feels good, which is a big change from the past two springs. Elbow trouble sidelined him in the spring of 2007, and he was in the early stage of rehabilitation a year ago.

He joined the rotation last July and went 7-1 in 14 starts with a 3.61 ERA. He throws hard and throws strikes, as suggested by his career strikeout-to-walks ratio of 234 to 117 in 272 1-3 innings.

"Just pound the zone," Johnson said of his approach. "You've got a lot more options that way. I'm trying not to walk anybody all spring."

Johnson said he's grateful every day that his arm feels good, and he expects to be ready for the season in another two or three starts. Assuming he achieves his goal of cracking the Marlins' talented young rotation, his regular-season objective is to make 34 starts.

He has no particular victory total in mind.

"I'll just try and let my team win every game we pitch," he said. "If we can win all 34, then I did my job."