Marlins rally late against Max Scherzer but drop doubleheader opener against Nationals
.JPG "Miami Marlins’ Matt Joyce, right, celebrates his two-run home run with Jonathan Villar, left, as Washington Nationals catcher Kurt Suzuki waits during the fifth inning of the first baseball game of a doubleheader, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)")
The first game of Miami Marlins’ doubleheader against the Washington Nationals on Saturday felt out of hand by the time the first inning came to an end.
The Marlins had already dug into their bullpen after starter Daniel Castano struggled with command and only got one out in the four batters he faced. Miami had also already spotted the Nationals a two-run lead as well, one the Nationals expanded on to give three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer a comfortable cushion.
The Marlins made it interesting late, but couldn’t dig out of their self-inflicted hole.
The end result: A 5-4 seven-inning loss to the Nationals on Saturday at Nationals Park. The loss puts the Marlins at 10-10 one-third of the way through the 60-game 2020 season. The Nationals improved to 10-13 heading into the nightcap.
The Marlins had steady at-bats early against Scherzer, including a 30-pitch third inning that nearly doubled his pitch count from the first two innings, but had no runs to show for it. Scherzer only allowed three baserunners — singles by Corey Dickerson and Jonathan Villar as well as a walk to Matt Joyce — in the first four innings before Miami started its rally in the fifth.
Magneuris Sierra began the rally with a one-out double to right-center. Miguel Rojas flew out to right field before the runs started coming in.
Villar RBI single scores Sierra. Joyce two-run home run. Scherzer then loaded the bases with back-to-back singles from Jesus Aguilar and Dickerson followed by a Brian Anderson hit-by-pitch. Jesus Sanchez walked on four pitches to force in another run and chase Scherzer from the mound before reliever Kyle Finnegan struck out Jorge Alfaro.
Ten batters. Seven baserunners. Four runs.
But still not enough to erase the Marlins’ deficit that started in the first.
Castano, making his third career MLB start, walked two of the first three batters he faced before giving up an infield RBI single to Adsrubal Cabrera.
Four batters. One out (in fairness, a swinging strikeout to Juan Soto). One run scored.
That was all Marlins manager Don Mattingly needed to see before going to his bullpen. In came Josh A. Smith.
Smith ate up 2 2/3 innings but allowed four more runs to score on a Josh Harrison RBI single in the first, Howie Kendrick sacrifice fly in the third, Harrison RBI single coupled with a Jesus Sanchez throwing error in the fourth and a Victor Robles sacrifice fly in the fourth (that was dropped by Corey Dickerson and allowed Robles to reach base).
Jesus Tinoco (two innings) and Nick Vincent (one inning) rounded out the Marlins’ attempt to keep Washington at bay while the offense’s rally fell short. Tanner Rainey and Daniel Hudson shut the Marlins down for the final two innings.
▪ Villar stole third base in the third inning, which gave him an MLB-leading seven steals on the season.
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