Nationals' starter Joe Ross leaves start vs Marlins with blister on right middle finger

Miami loaded up on left-handed bats tonight, hoping to take advantage of the fact that left-handed hitters have a .270/.350/.434 against Washington Nationals' starter Joe Ross over 181 plate appearances early in his major league career, (as opposed to right-handed hitters' .163/.195/.242 line in 187 PAs), though left-handed hitters have just a .217/.333/.304 line in 27 PAs against Ross this season (vs right-handers' .111/.111/.185 line against him in 27 PAs in 2016), but the 22-year-old right-hander left the start after just two innings with what the Nationals announced was a blister on the middle finger of his right hand.

Yusmeiro Petit, against whom left-handed hitters had a .272/.334/.484 in his nine-year career before tonight, came on in relief.

Ross was making his third start of the season tonight, the second against the Marlins, against whom he allowed five hits, two walks and one earned run in that 97-pitch outing.

More information on Ross will likely be available after the game when Nats' skipper Dusty Baker talks to reporters, but the fact that they allowed Ross to bat in the third (where he walked and scored on an RBI double by Bryce Harper) while they had Yusmeiro Petit warming is probably a good sign that it's nothing too serious.

Ross did managed to lower his ERA to 0.54 from 0.61 with his two scoreless innings tonight...