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Washington started the 2013 season at home with a three-game sweep of the Miami Marlins. After taking two of three from the Fish this week, the Nationals [counts on his fingers] had five in a row at home against their NL East divisional rivals heading into tonight's series finale. Gio Gonzalez was on the mound for the Nats, looking to break a streak of four straight starts at home without a curly-W going back to a July 5th win over the San Diego Padres.
Since then Gonzalez, was (0-1) in four outings in D.C. in which he had a 1.99 ERA. The Nationals were 2-2 in those four starts, and in the losses they gave their left-handed starter just two runs of support in a 3-1 loss to LA and a 2-1 loss to Atlanta. Gonzalez was coming off a rough start against the Royals in Kansas City, however. In just 3 1/3 IP in Kaufmann Stadium, the 27-year-old lefty surrendered 10 runs, three walks and seven earned runs in what ended up an 11-10 Nationals' win in which Gonzalez received no decision for the 13th time in 26 starts in 2013. He's received two runs or less of support in 18 of his 26 outings this season, and in 11 of 26 starts allowed four hits or less.
In four career starts against the Marlins before tonight, Gonzalez was (2-2) with a 1.93 ERA, no home runs allowed, five walks (1.61 BB/9), 33 Ks (10.61 K/9) and a 0.79 WHIP in 28 IP. He had a 6-0 lead after six scoreless innings of work tonight in the series finale with the Fish.
With the 6-0 win tonight the Nationals went three games over .500 and swept their sixth series of the season and their second from the Marlins in the nation's capital. Bryce Harper hit a two-run home run in the fourth for a 2-0 lead. Jayson Werth hit a three-run home run in the sixth to make it 5-0. Anthony Rendon drove in a run in the sixth too and Ian Desmond's 3-run home run in the seventh gave the Nationals a commanding 9-0 lead.
The Nationals improved to 68-65 after they swept the Fish.