Nationals at Marlins
The Miami Marlins dug themselves an early-season hole through 14 games with a number of poor efforts from their pitching staff, but have managed to keep the opposition in check during their three-game winning streak. The Marlins attempt to crawl out of a tie for last place in the National League East on Saturday when they continue their three-game home set against the Washington Nationals.
Miami surrendered at least seven runs six times and posted a 5.36
ERA en route to a 3-11 start, but has yielded four total runs while
taking two of three from Philadelphia and defeating Washington 3-2 on
Friday. Mat Latos and three relievers combined for a six-hitter in the
series opener while Martin Prado delivered a tiebreaking RBI single in
the eighth inning. Washington, which has won eight of the last 10
meetings even after Friday’s setback, matched a season high with its
third straight loss and risks falling into a tie for last place in the
division after being considered one of several World Series favorites in
the spring. Bryce Harper knocked in both runs in the opener for the
Nationals, who are 2-5 on the road after going 45-36 away from home in
2014.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), FSN Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (1-1, 4.50 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Tom Koehler (1-2, 6.75)
Strasburg
enjoyed his finest outing in three tries during Sunday’s 4-1 victory
over Philadelphia, allowing one run on five hits and two walks while
fanning seven over 7 1/3 innings. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2009
draft faced Miami five times in 2014, but only managed to go 3-2 despite
a 2.35 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. Giancarlo Stanton (10-for-28, three homers)
and Marcell Ozuna (6-for-13) have mostly enjoyed their head-to-head
encounters with Strasburg, who has baffled Adeiny Hechavarria (3-for-21)
and Prado (5-for-22).
After retiring the first nine hitters he
faced, Koehler was pounded for all seven of his runs in the fourth
inning while recording only one more out in Sunday’s 7-6 setback at the
New York Mets. The Stony Brook alum fared better against Washington last
year (1-2 with a 2.50 ERA in three turns) and is 2-3 with a 4.03 ERA in five
all-time starts versus the Nationals. Ryan Zimmerman (4-for-8 with a
homer) has fared well in limited at-bats against Koehler while Harper
(2-for-13) has not.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Marlins placed OF
Christian Yelich (back) on the disabled list and C Jarrod Saltalamacchia
on paternity leave Friday, replacing them with 1B Justin Bour and C
Jhonatan Solano from Triple-A New Orleans.
2. Miami LF Ichiro
Suzuki scored his 1,967th professional run in the opener, tying Sadaharu
Oh’s record for most by a Japanese player.
3. Prado is batting
.300 with eight home runs and 41 RBIs in 99 career games versus the
Nationals, nearly identical marks to those he has in 84 career games
against the Marlins (.313, eight and 41).