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Washington Nationals Beat Miami Marlins, 6-1, SWEEEEEEEEEP Season-Opening Series With The Fish

Washington Nationals' right-hander Jordan Zimmermann helped the Nats to their third-straight win over the Miami Marlins as the defending NL East champs swept the season-opening series with their NL East rivals from Florida. The Nationals now head out on the road to face the Cincinnati Reds.

By Patrick Reddington

The Washington Nationals' 6-1 win over the Miami Marlins this afternoon in Nationals Park gave the defending NL East champs three-straight curly-W's to start the 2013 campaign after Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and the Nationals' pen shut the Fish down in the first two games of the three-game series. That's also known as a SWEEEEEP!!!! Nats' right-hander Jordan Zimmermann put together another strong outing by Nationals' starters in Game 3, allowing eight hits, two walks, but just one earned run in 6.0 IP over which he threw 89 pitches, 60 for strikes to earn his first win of 2013.

Zimmermann's Line: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HR, 89 P, 60 S, 11/5 GO/FO

The Marlins scored their first run of the year when outfielder Justin Ruggiano took the first pitch of the second deep to right and over the out-of-town scoreboard for a solo blast that cut the Nats' lead in half at the time, but after Ryan Zimmerman doubled in Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper in the first to give the Nationals a 2-0 lead, Harper came through with an RBI single in the third that brought Denard Span in from second after the Nats' new center fielder bunted his way on and moved into scoring position on an error by Miami lefty Wade LeBlanc.

The Marlins looked over-matched through most of the first two games, but their bats came alive in the third of three games in the nation's capital, though all the hits but Ruggiano's were singles. The Nationals were able to win their third straight and complete the season-opening sweep before heading out on the road to face the Cincinnati Reds in a three-game series this weekend.

• Notes: Bryce Harper extended his hit streak to 12 games with a single in his first at bat. Jayson Werth hit his first home run of 2013 in the bottom of the seventh to bust things open. Henry Rodriguez need just 12 pitches to retire the Marlins in order in the seventh. Tyler Clippard needed nine pitches in the 8th. Craig Stammen came on in the ninth and ended it.

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