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WERTHQUAKE: Nationals 10-7 over Marlins on Jayson Werth's eighth inning grand slam

Washington Nationals' starter Jordan Zimmermann was knocked out early, but the Nats battled back and tied things up in the sixth only to have Miami break up the tie in the eighth. That's when Jayson Werth hit a grand slam to left to win it for the Nats. 10-7 final.

By Patrick Reddington
Greg Fiume

Tonight's Top 5:

5. Quick Recap: The Miami Marlins were held scoreless in the series opener on Tuesday night, but they struck early in the second game of three with Giancarlo Stanton singling in a run and Garrett Jones hitting a sac fly in the first that made it 2-0 Fish early against Jordan Zimmermann in Nationals Park.

The Marlins added to their lead in the second with Adeiny Hechavarria tripling and scoring on an RBI single by Christian Yelich, who came home as well on a two-run home run to right by Derek Deitrich that bounced off of the top of the out-of-town scoreboard. Originally ruled an RBI triple, it was called a home run upon review. 5-0 Marlins.

Zimmermann didn't make it out of the second. He was lifted after just 1 2/3 IP in what was the shortest outing of his six-year major league career and he was in line for the first loss to the Marlins since July of 2012 when he left the game...

Manager Matt Williams has talked recently about Bryce Harper being just a "tick off" thus far this season. A 10-pitch fourth inning at bat against Brad Hand helped Harper find his rhythm, and the Nats' 21-year-old left fielder launched the 10th pitch to right field and four rows back into the upper deck, just keeping it fair for a three-run blast that made it a 5-3 game after four. 94 mph 3-2 fastball inside... and GONE!!!:


The Nationals pulled within a run in the fifth when Anthony Rendon tripled to right on a 1-2 sinker outside from Marlins' right-hander Kevin Slowey. An RBI groundout by Jayson Werth brought Rendon in and made it a one-run game in Nationals Park.

Ryan Zimmerman doubled to right off Slowey in the top of the sixth and scored the tying run on a swinging bunt by Ian Desmond as the Nats battled all the way back and spared Zimmermann a loss. Desmond took third when Bryce Harper hit an opposite field single off new pitcher Dan Jennings, then scored when the Marlins' lefty misplayed a chopper back to the mound off Jose Lobaton's bat. 6-5 Nationals.

Drew Storen fell behind Jarrod Saltalamacchia 2-0 in the first at bat of the seventh, and served up a sinker that ended up sailing out to center field and just over the edge of the GEICO wall for a game-tying solo home run.

6-6 after six and a half.

Two walks in the eighth cost the Nationals a run. Tyler Clippard put Christian Yelich and Giancarlo Stanton on in front of Garrett Jones, who hit a grounder to right off the first base bag to bring Yelich in and make it 7-6 Marlins. RBI double. Stanton was out at home trying to score, but Miami took a one-run lead.

That didn't last long as the Nationals loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth and Jayson Werth hit a grand slam to the left field bullpen to break it open. 10-7.


The Marlins threatened in the ninth, but Rafael Soriano ended it.

10-7 final in Nationals Park.

4. The Pride of Auburndale:

1st: Auburndale, Wisconsin-born, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point-educated Washington Nationals' right-hander Jordan Zimmermann's second start of the year in the nation's capital began with 22-year-old Marlins' 2010 1st Round pick Christian Yelich driving a 94 mph 2-2 fastball the other way for a leadoff single into the left field grass. Derek Dietrich walked after Yelich stole second without a throw to put two runners on in front of Giancarlo Stanton, who was first-pitch swinging and singled to center to drive Yelich in for a 1-0 lead. Deitrich took third on Stanton's hit and scored on a sac fly by Garrett Jones that put the Nationals down 2-0 early and pushed Zimmermann up to 15 pitches with just one down. Casey McGehee popped out to second for out no.2, but Zimmermann walked Jarrod Saltalamacchia to put two on with his 27th pitch of the first. Marcell Ozuna stepped up with a runner in scoring position, but fell behind 0-2 quickly, missing badly on an 0-1 slider, but he worked the count full before grounding into an inning-ending force at third. 34-pitch inning. 2-0 Fish after a 1/2.

2nd: Marlins' shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria hit a 1-1 slider into the left-center gap for a leadoff triple in the Marlins' second, then scored out later when Christian Yelich dumped a 2-2 slider into the short left grass for an opposite field RBI single and a 3-0 Marlins' lead. Derek Dietrich took a 1-1 change for a ride in the next at bat for what was originally ruled an RBI triple, but it was reviewed and called a two-run home run. 5-0 Fish. Giancarlo Stanton popped out for out no.2, but back-to-back two-out singles by Garrett Jones and Casey McGehee ended Zimmermann's night.

Zimmermann's line: 1.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 57 P, 34 S

3. It Happens: Zimmermann's 1 2/3 inning outing tonight was the shortest of his six-year MLB career. His second shortest? A two-inning outing last July 21st in LA in which he gave up eighth hits, two walks and seven runs to the Dodgers before he was lifted by then Nats' skipper Davey Johnson. Zimmermann entered tonight's game (4-3) with a 3.41 ERA, 12 walks (1.57 BB/9) and 56 Ks (7.34 K/9) in 11 career starts and 68 2/3 IP in his career against the Nats' NL East rivals, but he was (4-0) with a 2.06 ERA vs the Marlins in five starts going back to the 2012 All-Star Break.

2. Eye of the Tiger: Craig Stammen took over in the second, retiring Jarrod Saltalamacchia in a five-pitch at bat to ended the threat there. Stammen got some help from his defense in his second inning of work. It started with a 5-6-3 putout that bounced off a diving Ryan Zimmerman right to Ian Desmond backing up at short and on to Adam LaRoche at first. Zimmerman then made a nice play and slick spinning sidearm throw to first on a weak grounder up the middle by Adeiny Hechavarria in the next at bat, and Stammen retired the opposing pitcher to end a seven-pitch frame. Still 5-0 Fish.

Stammen gave up Christian Yelich's third hit of the night in three at bats on a 92 mph 1-1 fastball that Yelich ripped by a diving Ryan Zimmerman at third, but three outs later, the Marlins' left fielder was stranded at third as the Nats' right-handed reliever retired Derek Deitrich, Giancarlo Stanton and Garrett Jones in order to end the top of the fourth. 16-pitch inning for Stammen, 29 overall after 2 1/3 IP.

1. WERTHQUAKE: Brad Hand, 24, entered tonight's game (0-2) with a 7.53 ERA in five games, three starts and 14 1/3 IP against the Nationals in his four-year major league career, but he started the game with three scoreless innings against the Nats.

Adam LaRoche and Ryan Zimmerman hit back-to-back singles off Hand in the Nationals' half of the fourth, but Ian Desmond K'd swinging at an 86 mph fastball inside in the next at bat for the first out of the inning. Bryce Harper stepped in with two runners on and battled Hand for 10 pitches before launching a 94 mph full-count fastball to right and four rows back into the upper deck in Nationals Park. 5-3 game.

Here watch it again:


Anthony Rendon took a 1-2 sinker from Marlins' right-hander Kevin Slowey the other way and down the line in right field for a one-out triple and scored on an RBI groundout by Jayson Werth that got the Nationals within one at 5-4. 2 for 3 for Rendon through five.

Christian Yelich walked in the first at bat of the sixth, and went first-to-third on a two-out single to right-center by Garrett Jones, but Ross Detwiler got a fly to right out of Casey McGehee to keep it close after five and a half.

Ryan Zimmerman battled Kevin Slowey for six pitches before lining a 3-2 sinker to right field and over Giancarlo Stanton's head. Stanton bobbled it allowing Zimmerman to take third and a swinging bunt by Ian Desmond brought the tying run in and knocked Slowey out. 5-5 game. Bryce Harper hit an opposite field single to left off Marlins' left-hander Dan Jennings, sending Desmond around to third and he scored when Jose Lobatron hit a chopper back to the mound that Jenning's misplayed. 6-5 Nationals.

Denard Span singled to center to load the bases, but two outs later it was still a 6-5 game in the Nationals' favor.

Jarrod Salatalamacchia tied things up with one swing, taking a 2-0 sinker from Drew Storen out to center field for a solo blast that made it a 6-6 game after six and a half.

Tyler Clippard walked Christian Yelich to start the eighth, but he got Derek Dietrich swinging through a 1-2 change up in the zone for out no.1. Giancarlo Stanton worked the count full and walked to put two on for Garrett Jones, who rolled a sharp liner down the right field line and off the first base bag. One run scored, but Stanton got thrown out at home on a 9-4-2 relay from Werth to Rendon and on to Lobaton. But 7-6 Marlins.

The Nationals rallied in the bottom of the eighth. Nate McLouth got on the hard way. Denard Span bunted his way on, and the Marlins loaded the bases in front of Jayson Werth by walking Anthony Rendon. Bad idea. Werth stepped up to the plate and hit a 1-0 fastball to left field and into the visitor's bullpen for a grand slam and a 10-7 Nats' lead.

Again, watch it again, it's totally #WERTH it:


Pitch it, Soriano! Pitch it, Soriano! Strike'em out, Soriano! Strike'em out, Soriano!! Rafael Soriano came on in the ninth looking for save no.2 of 2014 and gave the Nats a scare, but ended it. Ballgame. 10-7 final.

Nationals now 6-2

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