Washington Nationals 10-1 over Miami Marlins: Ryan Zimmerman 4 for 4, two homers in win...

Ryan Zimmerman collected more hits in his first three plate appearances tonight (3 for 3, HR, 2B, 3 RBIs) than he had in the previous eight games (2 for 27), pacing the offense with a 4 for 4, two home run, five RBI game in what ended up being a 10-1 win for the Washington Nationals over the Miami Marlins tonight in the nation’s capital.

Washington’s 32-year-old first baseman fell a triple short of the cycle in a big game at the plate, hitting his second home run in the seventh to put the Nationals up 10-1.

Nationals’ lefty Gio Gonzalez put together another solid start against the Fish after taking a no-hitter into the ninth inning last time out against Miami on the road in Marlins Park.

Gonzalez went seven innings, giving up seven hits and one earned run and earning his 10th win of the season as the Nationals won their second game in the third game of their four-game set with the Marlins.

Adrian Sanchez (2 for 3, 2 R), Bryce Harper (2 for 4, 2 R, 2 RBIs), and Howie Kendrick (3 for 4) all had multi-hit games as the Nationals connected for 14 hits total on the night on the way to their 67th win of the season.

Nationals now 67-45

HERE’S HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Ryan Zimmerman tore into an 0-2 slider from Adam Conley in the second, sending his 25th home run of the season out to left field to put the Nationals up 1-0 early in the third of four with the Marlins in D.C. [ed. note - “Something, something, franchise lead in RBIs (franchise = Montreal and D.C.).”]

• Brian Goodwin’s 21st two-base hit of 2017 led off the Nats’ half of the third, and he took third base on a sac bunt by Adrian Sanchez before scoring on an opposite field single by Bryce Harper to make it a 2-0 lead. Harper scored in the next at bat, when Ryan Zimmerman doubled to right-center on a 2-2 fastball from Conley, 3-0.

• J.T. Realmuto, Tyler Moore, and Ichiro Suzuki connected for singles off Gio Gonzalez in the fourth, with Ichiro’s driving Realmuto in from second for the Marlins’ first run, 3-1.

• Bryce Harper bunted his way on in the fifth inning, hustling down the line to beat the covering pitcher, and then took second on a wild pitch, before scoring on an RBI single by Ryan Zimmerman to make it 4-1 Nationals. Zimmerman scored one out (and one walk) later on an RBI line drive to left by Howie Kendrick, 5-1 Nats.

• A walk to Brian Goodwin and a hit-by-pitch on Adrian Sanchez with Hunter Cervenka on the mound brought Bryce Harper, and Harper hit a sac fly to left to make it a 6-1 game in the Nationals’ favor.

• Javy Guerra took over with Sanchez on second and one down, and gave up one and two-out walks, loading the bases in front of Howie Kendrick, who hit a two-run single to left to make it 8-1 Nats.

• Gio Gonzalez needed 19 pitches to get through the seventh, after throwing 15 total in the fifth and sixth innings, and he was up to 103 pitches total after he did, done for the night after another solid outing against the Marlins.

• Gio Gonzalez’s Line: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 Ks, 103 P, 69 S, 8/2 GO/FO.

• Ryan Zimmerman hit his second home run of the night in the eighth, connecting for his fourth hit of the night to end an 11-pitch at bat against Javy Guerra with his 26th of the season, a two-run oppo blast that made it 10-1 Nationals.

• Joe Blanton tossed a quick, 11-pitch, 10-strike eighth, and Matt Grace handled the ninth. Ballgame. Final Score: 10-1 Nationals.

NATIONALS PREGAME NOTES:

• Miami’s win last night gave them a 122-108 lead in the all-time series with Washington, though the Nationals are 52-35 against the Marlins since 2013.
• Since the start of the 2016 campaign, the Nationals have split the 30 games they’ve played.
• Brian Goodwin hit his 19th and 20th doubles last night, and his 20 doubles rank second among all NL rookies, and are tied for third in the majors among rookies.
• Washington’s offense started the night lading the NL in SLG (.470), home runs (166), runs scored (604), and extra-base hits (409), and they were ranked second in the National League in AVG (.274), hits (1,060), and OBP (.338).
• Washington’s starters began the night leading the NL in Ks (706), K/9 (9.45), ranked second in opponents’ average (.230), second in opponents’ on-base percentage (.300), and opponent’s slugging percentage (.389).
• Derek Dietrich started the night with a seven-game hit streak, over which he’s gone 9 for 26 (.360 AVG).
• Gio Gonzalez had a 1.15 ERA in his last five starts and 31 ¹⁄₃ IP against the Marlins before taking the mound tonight.

Nationals now 67-45