With yesterday’s loss in Atlanta, the Washington Nationals fell to 48-22 within the NL East this season.
They finished their regular season series with the Braves with a 15-4 mark against their divisional rivals, after finishing 12-7 against the NL East’s second-place New York Mets, and 14-5 against the Philadelphia Phillies.
With six games to play against the Miami Marlins, starting tonight, the Nationals are 7-6 against the Fish this season.
They haven’t played the Marlins since May 20-22, when they took two of three from Miami in Marlins Park.
Now they play the 74-75 Fish in six of the final thirteen regular season games.
Dusty Baker talked last week, about A.J. Cole, who’s facing the Marlins for the first time in his major league career tonight, relying, at least in part, on deception, which could be to his advantage since none of Miami’s hitters have seen him in person before.
“He’s kind of slow, he explodes at you, and then he kind of throws with that long arm back, and it’s hard to pick up,” Baker explained.
Through five starts, the 24-year-old, Winter Springs, Florida-born right-hander is (1-2), with a 4.71 ERA, a 4.85 FIP, nine walks (2.83 BB/9) and 31 Ks (9.73 K/9) in 28 2⁄3 innings pitched, holding opposing hitters to a .234/.303/.464 line.
Cole will not have the help of Bryce Harper or Daniel Murphy in the first of three in Miami, as both are getting the night off.
No word, yet, on whether Murphy, who appeared to tweak something running out a double in Atlanta, is dealing with any issues, or just getting two days in a row off after sitting out Sunday’s finale with the Braves, but I’d bet reporters will ask Dusty Baker when he meets with them before tonight’s game...
Here’s the Nationals’ lineup behind Cole for tonight’s series opener:
#Nats vs #Marlins 1 of 3: Turner - CF; Werth - LF; Rendon - 3B; Ramos - C; Zimmerman - 1B; Heisey - RF; Espinosa - SS, Difo - 2B; Cole - P
— federalbaseball (@federalbaseball) September 19, 2016