Marlins Begin Series With Nationals Still Searching For First Home Win
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MIAMI (CBSMiami/SportsDirect) – As tends to usually be the case, the Miami Marlins have stumbled out of the gate to begin a new season.
Miami has yet to win at home this season and turn to ace Jose Fernandez to try and stop the trend Monday as they host the first-place Washington Nationals in the opener of a four-game series.
The Marlins were swept by the Atlanta Braves over the weekend after a 6-5 loss in 10 innings Sunday, and fell to 0-5 at Marlins Park.
Miami has won three of five on the road, including a two-game split at Washington, but has allowed 33 runs in five contests at home.
Fernandez is 17-1 with a 1.61 ERA in his career at home and will go head to head against reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper, who has homered in a career-high four consecutive games and recorded 10 RBIs in that span.
Harper's solo blast put Washington up in the 10th inning Sunday before Jonathan Papelbon blew the save in a 3-2 loss to Philadelphia that ended a seven-game winning streak and dropped the Nationals to 5-1 on the road.
Harper is batting .325 with 17 homers in 67 career games against the Marlins.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), FSN Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Tanner Roark (1-1, 2.45 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Jose Fernandez (0-1, 5.06)
Roark rebounded from a rough outing in his season debut to pitch seven scoreless innings, allowing four hits, against Atlanta to earn the win last Wednesday.
The 29-year-old struggled on the road (2-6) and against the Marlins (0-3, 5.79 ERA) last season when he made 12 starts and 28 relief appearances.
Martin Prado is 6-for-12 with a homer versus Roark, who is 2-5 overall in his career against Miami.
Fernandez registered a better performance last time out, but three walks pushed his pitch count up and he was only able to complete five innings while permitting one run on three hits.
The 23-year-old Cuban lost for the first time at Marlins Park in his season opener against Detroit.
Harper is 3-for-10 with four walks against Fernandez, who went 2-0 with a 1.62 ERA in three starts versus the Nationals last year.
WALK-OFFS
- Washington 2B Daniel Murphy is 14-for-30 during a nine-game hitting streak and has 107 hits in 101 career games versus Miami.
- Miami RF Giancarlo Stanton is 2-for-18 with eight strikeouts in the last five games, but went 3-for-9 with an RBI in the series at Washington.
- The Nationals lead the majors in ERA (2.06) and the four starters scheduled to pitch in the series are a combined 7-1.
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