Both starting pitchers had outstanding performances Saturday afternoon, but one run was enough to seal the Marlins’ 1-0 victory over the Nationals, who are now on a three game losing streak. It was the second time in less than a week that the Marlins shut out the Nats in a game that pitcher Anibal Sanchez started.
The only run of the game came in the top of the seventh inning off the bat of Marlins’ right fielder Mike Stanton as he hit a solo shot to left center field, his seventh home run of the season and his second in two days. Stanton has now hit seven home runs against the Nationals in his career, which is less than a year long.
“Stanton hits the ball as hard as anybody in major league baseball. It’s amazing,” Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said after the game. “He hits balls that look like the trajectory of a single, and they go out of the ballpark.”
The Nationals offense could not produce a run, leaving men on base throughout the game. The offensive struggles are nothing new. Out of the eight position players in the starting lineup on Saturday, only two have an on-base percentage over .330, one of which is Roger Bernadina, who has played in only nine games this season and whose statistics are therefore misleading.
Yet, while the offense continues to come up short, Riggleman believes the problem is not the team’s work ethic.
“You’d be surprised at the energy level, the confidence in the dugout; it has not wavered,” Riggleman said. “The guys are just doing everything they can. They’re looking at tape. They’re getting extra work. They’re doing everything they can to come out of this.”
Sanchez went eight innings, allowing only three hits and two walks to lower his ERA to 2.90 on the season. He improved his record to 3-1.
Nationals’ starter Livan Hernandez cannot be held accountable for the loss as he threw seven innings, surrendering the one run on six hits, two walks to go along with four strikeouts. His season ERA is down to 3.90 after Saturday’s performance.
This is not the first time that Sanchez has dominated the Nationals. Last Sunday the Marlins beat the Nationals 8-0. In that game, Sanchez went seven innings, striking out 11 while surrendering only two hits with no walks allowed. There is no doubt that the Nats are not looking forward to facing Sanchez again anytime soon.
Riggleman is surely tired of him, saying, “He’s been like that against us pretty much every time.”
blasky@theeagleonline.com
