Washington Nationals win seventh straight over Miami Marlins, 2-1: Stephen Strasburg tosses six scoreless in Miami...

Stephen Strasburg tossed six scoreless on 90 pitches, extending his personal scoreless innings streak to 26-straight, and finishing his outing with a streak of 18 scoreless in a row against the Miami Marlins.

Strasburg struck out eight batters, walked no one and worked around six hits to keep the Marlins off the board and make the one run the Nationals were able to score while he was on the mound hold up through six.

Sammy Solis tossed a scoreless seventh, working around a two-out error by Nats’ right fielder Jayson Werth, who flat dropped a fly ball, and the Nationals added to their lead with a solo shot by Daniel Murphy in the top of the eighth, 2-0.

Miami scored a run off Sean Doolittle in the ninth, but the Nationals’ closer made it 15 for 15 in save opportunities and the Nats made it seven straight over the Marlins, 2-1.

Nationals now 84-54

HERE’S HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Adam Lind led off the second with an opposite field double into the left field corner, and moved up on a groundout by Jayson Werth, before scoring, after a walk by Michael A. Taylor, when Pedro Severino hit an opposite field single to right, 1-0.

• After a scoreless third against the Marlins, Strasburg was up to 15-straight scoreless against Miami, and 23-straight scoreless innings overall going back three starts to his outing against the San Diego Padres on the road in Petco Park on August 19th.

• Odrisamer Despaigne was up to 11-straight Nationals set down after Severino’s RBI singe when he retired the Nats in order in the fifth.

• Alejandro De Aza snapped Despaigne’s streak with a leadoff double in the top of the sixth, but two outs later he was still at second. Marlins’ skipper Don Mattingly walked Adam Lind intentionally to get to Jayson Werth, who sent a chopper to third base for out No. 3. #missedopportunity

• Strasburg was stretching his right calf (assuming it was the same issue from his last few starts) again in the sixth, and he looked uncomfortable on the mound, but waived off trainer Paul Lessard, and finished the inning, working around a two-out single in a 17-pitch frame to complete six scoreless on 90 pitches.

• Stephen Strasburg’s Line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 Ks, 90 P, 60 S, 6/1 GO/FO.

• Sammy Solis retired the first two batters he faced in the seventh, and got a fly to right from Miguel Rojas that Jayson Werth just. missed. With a runner on second and two out, the left-hander got a groundout to second from Ichiro Suzuki to complete a scoreless, 21-pitch frame.

• Kyle Barraclough retired the first two batters he faced in the top of the eighth, but Daniel Murphy got hold of a 2-0 fastball and sent a screamer into the empty seats in right field in Marlins Park for his 22nd home run of the season and a 2-0 lead on the Fish.

• Sammy Solis retired Dee Gordon in the Marlins’ eighth, and Matt Albers came on to face Giancarlo Stanton, striking out the Fish slugger and then retired Christian Yelich to end the inning. Still 2-0 Nationals.

• Sean Doolittle took the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning and made it 15 for 15 in save opportunities with the Nationals, giving up a single by Marcell Ozuna, and a run on a sac fly, 2-1, before recording the final out. Ballgame. Final Score: 2-0 Nationals.

NATIONALS PREGAME NOTES:

• With Washington’s win last night, they improved to 114-122 in the all-time series with the Miami Marlins, though the Nationals have gone 58-35 against the Fish since 2013.
• After last night’s win, the Nationals have the most road wins (43) and best road winning percentage in the NL (.614).
• Washington started the night with a 16.0-game lead in the NL East and a magic number of 10 to clinch the division crown for the second straight season.
• Stephen Strasburg tossed a complete-game shutout against the Marlins last time out when he faced Miami in D.C. during the last homestand.
• Anthony Rendon started the day leading the NL in fWAR (6.5), and he’s already set career highs in home runs (23), RBIs (90), and walks (72).
• Washington’s starting pitchers have a 2.49 ERA in their last 26 starts and 162 ²⁄₃ IP, which leads the NL over that stretch, and Nats’ starters have the lowest opponents’ batting average in the majors (.229), the third-most Ks (856), and the second-lowest opponents’ OBP (.297) and ERA (3.46).

Nationals now 84-54