The Sports Xchange
Aug 9, 2017
WASHINGTON -- Ryan Zimmerman went 4-for-4 with two home runs and five RBIs, setting the all-time franchise RBI record as the first-place Washington Nationals hammered the Miami Marlins 10-1 on Wednesday.
Howie Kendrick had three hits and three RBIs, and Gio Gonzalez allowed only one run in seven innings for Washington.
Zimmerman has 910 RBIs in his career, breaking the Montreal/Washington franchise record of 905 set by Tim Wallach.
Gonzalez (10-5) had six strikeouts and no walks while permitting seven hits. He has won at least 10 games the past eight seasons and is 9-3 against his hometown Marlins. The veteran left-hander saw his ERA rise every year the past four seasons, but he is now down to 2.59 after posting a mark of 4.57 in 2016.
Marlins starter Adam Conley (4-5) gave up five runs on 11 hits in five innings. He has not beaten the Nationals since 2015. Miami's Tyler Moore had two hits against his former club, and Ichiro Suzuki added three hits.
Washington (67-45) is 14 games ahead of the second-place Marlins (53-59) with the teams splitting their first 12 meetings this season.
Adrian Sanchez had two hits for the Nationals, who had six extra-base hits and were 5-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
Zimmerman hit a 0-2 pitch from Conley into the seats in left field to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
In the third, Bryce Harper hit an opposite field single to left to score Brian Goodwin, who led off with a double and went to third on a sacrifice bunt.
Zimmerman followed with an RBI double to center that scored Harper from first for a 3-0 advantage.
Suzuki had an RBI single off Gonzalez in the fourth to trim the lead to 3-1. His hit scored Derek Dietrich, who reached on a fielder's choice and took third on a Moore single.
Zimmerman came through again in the fifth with an RBI single to score Harper. Later in the inning, Kendrick doubled to left to drive in a run that gave Washington a 5-1 lead.
The Nationals left the bases loaded in the fifth as Gonzalez lined out to left as Marcell Ozuna made a running catch near the warning track.
Harper (two hits, two RBIs) had a sacrifice fly in the sixth as the Nationals took a 6-1 lead. Kendrick drove in two with a single later in the frame for an 8-1 advantage.
Zimmerman hit his second homer of the game in the seventh, a two-run shot to right off reliever Javy Guerra to make it 10-1. Zimmerman, without a long ball since July 30, has 26 this season.
NOTES: Washington RHP Stephen Strasburg, on the disabled list since July 2 due to a right elbow nerve impingement, threw a simulated game of 57 pitches at Nationals Park. Among the hitters he faced was Nationals LF Jayson Werth (left foot contusion), who has not played since June 4. ... Washington RHP Tanner Roark (9-7, 4.82 ERA) will oppose Marlins RHP Dan Straily (7-7, 3.79) on Thursday in the series finale. ... Nationals 2B Daniel Murphy (hip) was out of the starting lineup for the second day in a row. ... Marlins 1B Tyler Moore played for the Nationals from 2012-15.