Miami @ Washington preview
Nationals Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 21, 2013 ) Miami 0, Washington 0
A healthy dose of rain is all that has cooled down the surging Washington Nationals of late. After Mother Nature prevented baseball from being played in the nation's capital on Saturday, the Miami Marlins and Nationals will complete their four-game series with a day/night doubleheader on Sunday. The inclement weather also played a role for both Atlanta and St. Louis - as the clubs could have secured a National League East title and postseason berth, respectively, had Washington lost on Saturday.
The Nationals have been surging, winning 12 of their last 14 to sit 4 1/2 games behind Cincinnati in the race for the second wild card with eight games remaining on their schedule. "We're going to keep fighting," Span said. "Mathematically, it hasn't looked good for the last month or so, but I've seen a lot of crazy things happen. I've been a part of a lot of crazy things." The Marlins have dropped 12 of their last 15 games.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Miami), MASN (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins RH Tom Koehler (3-10, 4.51 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Dan Haren (9-13, 4.88)
Koehler settled for a hard-luck no-decision in his last outing on Saturday as he scattered three hits over eight scoreless innings against the New York Mets. Such is life for the 27-year-old, who hasn't won since Aug. 1 after tossing six sizzling innings in a 3-0 triumph versus the Mets. Koehler struggled versus the Nationals on Aug. 29, allowing six runs on seven hits in five innings en route to a 9-0 loss.
Haren was battered by the Marlins on Sept. 6, yielding five runs on six hits in three innings. The 33-year-old has settled down since that outing, allowing one run on four hits in 12 innings. Haren pitched well on Tuesday, permitting one run on three hits in six innings before exiting with a no-decision versus Atlanta.
WALK-OFFS
1. Washington has won all eight home meetings with Miami, outscoring the Marlins by a gaudy 37-7 margin.
2. Marlins 2B Donovan Solano ended RHP Jordan Zimmermann's no-hit bid with a two-out single in the sixth inning on Friday. Solano has hit safely in four straight contests and 10 of his last 11.
3. The Nationals will honor retiring manager Davey Johnson with a video montage prior to the first game.
PREDICTION: Nationals 5, Marlins 1