No losses are easy to swallow but certainly the ninth inning blown-save loss is usually the toughest. The Washington Nationals gave away a win last night, and they know it. They were facing a Marlins team decimated by injuries, and yet the Nats could not take advantage. Tonight, MacKenzie Gore takes the mound for the Nats.
With Joey Meneses going on the paternity list, the team recalled Jake Alu to the roster to temporarily fill-in. With a righty on the mound for the Marlins, it will get Corey Dickerson in the lineup as the DH, and Ildemaro Vargas was penciled in as the left fielder. There was discussion that Alu could start in left field so we will see if there is a lineup change.
“He gets a chance to DH today. He’s a veteran guy who can hit.”
— manager Dave Martinez on Corey Dickerson
The Nats starters ERAs are a combined 4.30, and the team’s best mark of the season after Josiah Gray only gave up one earned run last night over 7.0 innings. For the first time this year the Nats’ starters have a better ERA than the bullpen.
Here is how they rank:
No. 5 Starter: Jake Irvin 4.11 ERA
No. 4 Starter: Patrick Corbin 4.65
No. 3 Starter: Trevor Williams 4.23
No. 2 Starter: MacKenzie Gore 3.29
No. 1 Starter: Josiah Gray 2.73
Today is Anibal Sanchez day for this game as he announced his retirement yesterday. He will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before this game. Sanchez will always be known for his World Series season with the Nats in 2019, and his near no-hitter in the NLCS against the Cardinals when he had his no-hitter going into two outs in that eighth innings, making it one of the most dominant postseason performances in baseball history.
Here is your Baseball Savant Statcast link for the game.
Washington Nationals vs. Miami Marlins
Stadium: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
1st Pitch: 6:40 pm EDT
TV: MASN
Radio: 106.7 The Fan radio and via the MLB app
Line-up subject to change (without notice):
