Marlins Face Nationals Still Searching For First Win Of 2016
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WASHINGTON DC (CBSMiami/SportsDirect) – The season hasn't begun particularly well for the Miami Marlins and things won't get much easier as they face one of the favorites to win the NL East.
Following a pair of nail-biters on the road, the Washington Nationals open up their home schedule Thursday afternoon with the first of three games against the Marlins.
The Nationals captured an extra-inning affair in Atlanta on Monday to begin the year and then scored three times in the seventh on Tuesday before surviving a shaky ninth to post a 3-1 triumph.
Behind stud starters Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, Washington's staff has allowed four runs and 12 hits over 19 innings.
The Marlins have had a very different experience thus far, giving up 15 runs and 25 hits while being swept of two-game set by Detroit at home.
Reigning National League batting champion Dee Gordon has picked up where he left off for Miami by recording back-to-back three-hit efforts to start the season.
The speedy second baseman hit .342 in 19 games against Washington last season and is 4-for-6 against Nationals starter Tanner Roark.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Miami), MASN, WUSA 9 (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins LH Adam Conley (2015: 4-1, 3.76 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Tanner Roark (2015: 4-7, 4.38)
Conley was brought up from the minors midway through last season and made a significant impact down the stretch, going 4-1 with a 3.68 ERA in 11 starts.
He was the winner in his only outing against the Nationals despite allowing three runs in five innings.
The 25-year-old yielded two runs and five hits in 9 2/3 frames during spring training.
Roark followed up a breakout performance in 2014 with an uneven effort last year, due in large part to being shuffled back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen.
The University of Illinois product is 21-15 with a 3.17 ERA in 48 career starts and owns a 3.32 mark in 12 games (six starts) versus the Marlins.
Miami's Martin Prado is 4-for-9 with a home run and a walk against Roark, who yielded four runs over 18 frames in Grapefruit League action.
WALK-OFFS
- Nationals RF Bryce Harper hit .345 and belted 23 of his 42 home runs at home during his 2015 MVP campaign.
- The Marlins have committed three errors through their first two contests.
- Washington was 7-3 at home against Miami last year.
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