Nationals at Marlins
The road hasn’t been kind to the Washington Nationals yet this month, but the reigning National League East champions have a good chance to turn it around away from home beginning on Friday if they can repeat last season’s success against the Miami Marlins. Washington is off to a 7-9 start despite playing 10 of its first 16 at Nationals Park and needed to win a pair of series finales at Philadelphia and Boston to avoid three-game sweeps.
The Nationals dropped home games to St. Louis on Wednesday and Thursday to finish their seven-game homestand at 4-3, but they enter this series
having defeated the Marlins in eight of the last nine meetings. Jordan
Zimmermann, who will start the opener, picked up two of those victories - including the first no-hitter thrown in Washington since Bobby Burke in the 1931 regular-season finale. Miami, which went 4-6
on its just-completed 10-game road trip, has won two straight entering
the start of a nine-game homestand. After surrendering an
average of six runs during their five-game losing streak, the Marlins
outscored Philadelphia 15-2 over the last two contests to claim their
second series win of the season.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Washington), FSN Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Jordan Zimmermann (1-2, 6.14 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Mat Latos (0-3, 10.24)
After
surrendering eight runs (seven earned) in a disastrous outing at Boston
on April 13, Zimmermann was handed his second loss in as many turns
Saturday by Philadelphia. The two-time All-Star, who yielded four runs
(two earned) on four hits and four walks over 6 1/3 innings versus the Phillies, went
3-0 with a 3.28 ERA in six starts against Miami last year. Giancarlo
Stanton (7-for-26, three home runs) and Martin Prado (8-for-17) have
held their own against Zimmermann, but Adeiny Hechavarria (4-for-23) has
not.
Last time out, Latos made it past the fourth inning for the first time
since the Marlins acquired him in December but remained winless by suffering his third straight loss to a division foe. The 27-year-old
Virginia native gave up two runs over five frames Saturday versus the
New York Mets and has posted a 2.38 WHIP while allowing opponents to bat
.395 against him. Despite his overall success versus the Nationals (3-2, 2.66 ERA in seven career starts), Latos has not beaten
Washington since July 8, 2010.
WALK-OFFS
1. Hechavarria is 16-for-39 over his last 10 games after starting the season 1-for-22.
2.
Nationals 3B Anthony Rendon (left knee sprain) worked out with the team before Thursday's game and will begin a rehab assignment Friday with Double-A
Harrisburg.
3. Marlins LF Christian Yelich, who has missed the
last three games with a stiff back, remains day-to-day. He missed two contests a week ago due to the same ailment.