Washington Nationals drop 3-1 decision to Miami Marlins: Tanner Roark makes second Grapefruit League start...

A couple of errors by normally sure-handed third baseman Anthony Rendon (in back-to-back at bats no less) led to the two unearned runs that scored with Tanner Roark on the mound this afternoon in Jupiter, Florida’s Roger Dean Stadium, where the Miami Marlins beat the Washington Nationals, 3-1.

Roark on short rest/making up for NLDS: Starting on three days’ rest, Tanner Roark got off to a good start this afternoon, striking out two batters in a quick, 1-2-3 bottom of the first inning. Roark hit Derek Dietrich in the second inning, because that’s just kind of a thing the Nats do (ten times last year alone), then got a double play out of Garrett Cooper, but a two-out double by Lewis Brinson and a throwing error by Anthony Rendon led to the first run of the game, 1-0 Marlins.

• Why was Roark starting on three days’ rest? <— this is a link.

Rendon’s second error of the game, on a routine grounder to third base in the next at bat, put runners on the corner with two out, and a wild pitch from Roark led to Miami’s second run of the game crossing the plate, 2-0 Fish after two.

That was it for Roark, with the errors bumping his pitch count up to 43 pitches total in his second start of the Spring.

Michael A. Taylor brings one back: Dietrich almost had his revenge for the hit-by-pitch in his second trip to the plate of the afternoon, taking Ryan Madson deep to center in the home-half of the third, but Michael A. Taylor made a leaping catch to bring one back into the field of play. Sorry, Derek.

Bryce Harper scratch: Harper was originally penciled in to the Nats’ lineup, but he was scratched a few hours before the first pitch was thrown with what Dave Martinez told reporters was another ingrown toenail.

You might remember that Harper had a surgical procedure for an ingrown toenail a few years back, and shared pics for some reason.

Horse Head Kelley: In his second outing of the Spring, Shawn Kelley worked around a single and a walk in a scoreless fourth, erasing the single by picking the runner (Lewis Brinson) off first, and stranding the two-out walk.

Edwin Jackson struck out two of the three batters he faced in a quick, 1-2-3 fifth inning.

Jefry Rodriguez gave up back-to-back, two-out walks in the Marlins’ half of the sixth, but stranded both runners in a scoreless frame, though he did need 30 pitches to get out of trouble.

More walks, please: Marlins’ lefty Dillon Peters walked three batters around a strikeout, loading the bases with one down in the Nationals’ seventh, then issued a fourth walk to Adrian Sanchez, forcing in the first run of the game for the visiting team, 2-1 Fish.

Solis’s Turn: Sammy Solis gave up a one-out single, but stranded the runner in a scoreless bottom of the seventh inning, after the Nationals got within one run.

After the Nationals stranded two runners in the top of the eighth inning, Trevor Gott took over on the mound, and gave up a one-out double by Isaac Galloway, after a fielding error by Adrian Sanchez put a runner on, and a wild pitch brought in the Marlins’ third run, 3-1.

Rafael Bautista singled to lead off the ninth, but was stranded three outs later.

Final Score: 3-1 Marlins.