The Sports Xchange
Aug 2, 2017
MIAMI -- Vance Worley pitched seven scoreless innings for his first win of the year, and Christian Yelich and Derek Dietrich hit two-run homers to lead the Miami Marlins to a 7-0 win over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night at Marlins Park.
Dee Gordon was the catalyst for Miami's offense. He went 3-for-4 with a triple, a walk, two steals, three runs and one RBI. He raised his batting average to .300 and extended his hitting streak to 13 games, tying his career high.
Worley entered the game with a 0-2 record and a 6.42 ERA. He ended it with his first win since May 12, 2016, when his Baltimore Orioles beat the Detroit Tigers.
On Wednesday, he allowed just two singles and no walks, striking out three and facing the minimum.
Yelich, who has 13 homers this season, finished with three RBIs. Dietrich hit his sixth homer.
Miami (51-55) cut Washington's lead in the NL East to 12 games by winning two of three in this series. The Nationals (63-43) have lost five of nine games against Miami this year.
The Marlins have won four consecutive series for the first time since 2015.
Washington starter A.J. Cole (1-1), who was called up from Triple-A Syracuse for the start, allowed five runs in five innings.
Cole got in trouble right away. In the first inning, he used just five pitches to walk Gordon, who scored easily when the next batter, Giancarlo Stanton, doubled to right-center.
Miami extended its lead to 5-0 with a four-run fifth that featured the two-run homers by Yelich and Dietrich. The advantage increased to 7-0 in the sixth on an RBI single by Gordon and a run-scoring double by Yelich.
Marlins reliever Odrisamer Despaigne pitched the final two innings to complete a combined four-hitter.
NOTES: RHP Brandon Kintzler made his Nationals debut with 1 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out two. ... Washington optioned LHP Sammy Solis and RHP Erick Fedde to Triple-A Syracuse. ... Nationals 1B Ryan Zimmerman appeared in career game No. 1,504, breaking the franchise record held by Gary Carter. ... Marlins RHP Edinson Volquez will have elbow surgery on Friday and is expected to miss the 2018 season, the last season on his two-year, $22 million contract. ... Marlins 1B Justin Bour (oblique) may not return this season. ... Marlins SS JT Riddle will have season-ending surgery on his non-throwing surgery next week. ... Marlins RHP Kyle Barraclough (shoulder) could return in mid-August. ... Marlins 3B Martin Prado (knee) hopes to return next month. ... When Nationals RHP Max Scherzer homered on Tuesday, he became the first pitcher to go yard at Marlins Park since the late Jose Fernandez did it on July 2, 2015.