Miami @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 26, 2014 ) Miami 0, Washington 4

The Washington Nationals attempt to take some momentum into the playoffs when they host the Miami Marlins for a day-night doubleheader on Friday to begin a four-game series. Manager Matt Williams has given his regulars some rest while keeping them sharp since the Nationals clinched their second National League East title in three years on Sept. 16. Washington split a doubleheader with the New York Mets on Thursday and lead the Los Angeles Dodgers by 2 ½ games for the top seed in the NL.

Nationals’ center fielder Denard Span, among the NL leaders in hits, sat out both games of Thursday’s doubleheader with a sore right knee and is expected to play Friday. Miami rallied to beat Philadelphia 6-4 on Thursday to take two of three in the series. Christian Yelich, 22, is finishing a strong first full season with a .290 average, 164 hits, 21 stolen bases, 30 doubles and a .996 fielding percentage - leading all major league left fielders.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET; FSN Florida (Miami), MASN (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins LH Andrew Heaney (0-3, 5.33 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Taylor Hill (0-0, 4.15)

Heaney has pitched 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief since being recalled, including three frames against the Nationals on Sunday in which he gave up one hit. The 23-year-old Oklahoma native surrendered 15 runs and 24 hits in 20 2/3 innings during four starts earlier in the season. Heaney, the ninth overall pick in the 2012 draft, has allowed five home runs in his first 25 1/3 innings in the majors.

Hill makes his first major-league start after giving up two runs and six hits over 4 1/3 innings in a pair of relief outings during June. The 25-year-old Vanderbilt product went 11-7 in 25 appearances (24 starts) with a 2.81 ERA in 144 innings at Triple-A Syracuse this season. Hill, a sixth-round pick in the 2011 draft, walked only 54 batters in 308 2/3 innings over the past two seasons in the minors.

WALK-OFFS

1. Miami 3B Casey McGehee is one hit away from matching his career high of 174 in 2010 with Milwaukee.

2. Washington OF-INF Ryan Zimmerman is 3-for-9 with a triple and an RBI since returning from a hamstring injury that kept him out almost two months.

3. Marlins SS Adeiny Hechavarria snapped out of a 1-for-20 slump with three hits Thursday.

PREDICTION: Marlins 6, Nationals 3