Washington Nationals 2-1 over Miami Marlins: Nats clinch home field in NLDS with Dodgers’ loss...

Tanner Roark set a career-high this afternoon when he earned his 16th win (16-10), giving up three hits and one earned run in 5 ²⁄₃ innings in what ended up a 2-1 win.

Washington’s 29-year-old right-hander held the visiting Miami Marlins to one run on three hits in a 109-pitch effort and Nationals’ leadoff man Trea Turner gave the Nats what they needed on offense, scoring on an RBI single by Bryce Harper in the bottom of the first before homering in the fifth. 2-1 final.

Before the Nationals could wrap up the win, the San Francisco Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers to officially give Washington home field advantage in the NLDS.

NLDS Game 1: Friday, October 7th... in WASHINGTON, D.C.!!!

Here’s how it happened:

Trea Turner improved to 27 for 62 (.435 AVG) in the first at bat of the game, in the 65 games he’s played as the Nationals’ leadoff man, with a single off Marlins’ left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, and Turner scored from second, after a groundout by Michael A. Taylor, when Bryce Harper lined an RBI single to center to make it 1-0 after one in D.C.

Tanner Roark held the Marlins scoreless through four, throwing a total of 75 pitches to maintain the 1-0 advantage. He was up to 86 after five, and Turner gave him him a 2-0 lead to work with when he hit an 0-1 fastball out to left for two-out, line drive HR, his 13th of the season.

Christian Yelich got the Marlins on the board in the sixth, walking to start the frame, stealing second two outs later and scoring on a single to right by Chris Johnson, 2-1.

Tanner Roark’s Line: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 4 Ks, 109 P, 67 S, 6/2 GO/FO.

Blake Treinen struck former Nats’ prospect Destin Hood out to end the Marlins’ sixth.

Shawn Kelley retired the Marlins in order in the seventh to keep it 2-1, and came back out for the eighth but was lifted after issuing a leadoff walk to Miguel Rojas.

Marc Rzepczynski gave up a single by Yelich, but struck Justin Bour out before he was lifted. Mark Melancon came on for a four-out save and finished off the eighth, before returning in the ninth and retiring the Marlins in order. Ballgame. Nationals 2-1 over the Marlins.

Nationals now 94-67

NATS NOTES:

• Washington’s 93-67 record after last night’s loss left them with the second-best record in the National League, behind only the Chicago Cubs (102-57).
• Miami is 9-8 against the Nationals this season, with a 4-3 mark in the nation’s capital.
• Washington’s so-called “magic number” to clinch home field advantage down to one, meaning any Nationals’ win or LA Dodgers’ loss in the last two and the NLDS starts in D.C. next Friday.
• Washington’s +147 run differential is the second-best in the NL, behind only, again, the Chicago Cubs (+252).
• In today’s “Fun with Arbitrary End Points” update: The Nationals are 44-29 against the Marlins since 2013... and 101-115 vs the Fish overall (since 2005).
• Tonight’s starter for the Marlins, Wei-Yin Chen, is (1-4) with a 4.98 ERA in six career starts vs the Nationals.
• Tanner Roark is (1-4) with a 5.02 ERA in five starts vs the Marlins this season, and (3-8) with a 4.00 ERA in 17 career appearances vs the Fish.
• The Nationals are one of four teams in the majors with six players with 20 HRs: Daniel Murphy (25), Bryce Harper (24), Danny Espinosa (23), Wilson Ramos (22) and Anthony Rendon (20).
• Trea Turner’s 339 AVG this seaso is the highest by a rookie with at least 290 ABs since Ichiro Suzuki hits .350 for Seattle in 2001.
• Giancarlo Stanton has 27 career home runs vs the Nationals, 16 of then in Nationals Park.

Nationals now 94-67