Washington Nationals drop finale to Miami Marlins, 11-8 in D.C.: Austin Voth struggles against Fish...

Austin Voth didn’t make it out of the fourth, and he was charged with six runs on six hits and three walks in what ended up an 11-8 loss for the Washington Nationals in the fifth of five with the Miami Marlins in D.C. over the last four days. Pablo López put together another nice start for the Fish, though his defense betrayed him late in his outing. Juan Soto went 4 for 5 with two doubles in a losing effort...

Voth vs the Fish: Austin Voth earned the fifth spot in the Nationals’ rotation with his work in Spring Training 1.0 and 2.0, but out of the gate, the 28-year-old right-hander has struggled.

In four starts before tonight, the 2013 5th Round pick out of the University of Washington was (0-2) with a 5.00 ERA, 6.58 FIP, six walks, 12 Ks, and a .278/.342/.556 line against in 18 innings.

Voth said after giving up nine hits and five runs in four innings last time out on the road in Atlanta, that his velocity was down, and his fastball command wasn’t where he wanted it, and it was, in his mind, all tied to his mechanics.

“I think once I get my delivery down, then I’ll be able to — I think a little bit of velo will come back and my command will come back.”

Start No. 5 for Voth this season began with two scoreless on 25 pitches, but a one-out hit, a two-out walk, and an infield single loaded the bases in the top of the third, setting up Jesús Aguilar with an RBI opportunity he cashed in with a walk that forced in a run, 1-0. It came on Voth’s 29th pitch of the inning and 54th pitch of the game.

Brian Anderson singled to start the fourth, and scored (after a HBP on Jorge Alfaro moved him, Anderson, into scoring position) on a one-out single to center by Jonathan Villar, 2-0.

Voth’s third walk of the game loaded the bases for the second straight inning, and after a pop to first off Jon Berti’s bat got the starter out No. 2, Matt Joyce hit a first-pitch slider to right field for a two-run single that made it a 4-0 game and ended the starter’s outing...

Austin Voth’s Line: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 Ks, 73 P, 43 S, 1/2 GO/FO.

López vs the Nationals: Marlins’ right-hander Pablo López, 24, has been impressive early on in the 2020 campaign, with a 2.42 ERA, a 2.24 FIP, five walks, 24 Ks, and .244/.283/.349 line against in four starts and 22 ¹⁄₃ IP.

Miami’s skipper Don Mattingly gave López a vote of confidence for what he’s accomplished this season after a 6 ¹⁄₃ inning outing against the New York Mets last week in which he held the opposition to two runs on seven hits in a 90-pitch start.

“Pablo is becoming our guy,” Mattingly said, as quoted by MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro.

“At this point, where our staff is right now, this guy is the ace of our staff. He’s our best guy. You can count on him every time out, so far.”

López worked around a hit and two walks in three scoreless as the Marlins jumped out to an early lead, and he came out for the bottom of the fourth with a 7-0 advantage and stranded a leadoff double (by Juan Soto).

A throwing error on a Yan Gomes’ grounder to third, and a fly to center by Eric Thames that Jon Berti lost in the lights led to the first run of the game for the Nationals, with a sac fly by Victor Robles bringing Gomes in to make it 7-1 Marlins in the fifth.

Adam Eaton drove Thames in with a two-out opposite field single, 7-2, and Howie Kendrick connected for the third-straight two-out hit, sending a grounder to center field to make it a 7-3 game.

Pablo López’s Line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 Ks, 84 P, 57 S, 9/3 GO/FO.

Cabby: Asdrubal Cabrera got a day off on Sunday, after the 34-year-old infielder played in both games of the Nationals and Marlins’ doubleheader on Saturday, but Davey Martinez told reporters before tonight’s game that he wanted to get the veteran back in the lineup today.

“We’re trying to keep him in there,” Martinez said. “He’s been swinging the bat well. He’s a big part of the middle of our lineup. This guy has a knack of driving in runs. We need that right now.”

Cabrera started the night with a .267/.326/.523 line, five doubles, five home runs, and team-leading 17 RBIs in 23 games.

Cabrera walked the first time up against Pablo López, grounded out the second time up, and rolled over a 1-0 changeup in his third trip to the plate, 0 for 3.

Another weak roller towards first in the seventh left him 0 for 4. These sections don’t always work out as you’d hoped. Cabrera did walk to lead off the ninth...

BULLPEN ACTION: Javy Guerra took over with two on and two out and gave up a two-run double to center by Jesús Aguilar, whose fifth two-base hit of the season made it a 6-0 game in Miami’s favor, and Corey Dickerson drove Aguilar in to make it 7-0 before Guerra got out of the fourth.

Guerra stranded two in a 19-pitch fifth, and came back out for the sixth in a 7-3 game and gave up a leadoff single before the Nationals went to the pen again.

Wander Suero took over with a runner on and no one out and threw 12 pitches (all for strikes) and picked up two Ks, stranding the runner he inherited.

Nick Vincent worked around a one-out double by Yan Gomes in a scoreless bottom of the sixth.

Seuro got two more outs in the seventh before Davey Martinez went to the bullpen again for Dakota Bacus, who walked Miguel Rojas, then gave up a two-run home run to center by Jon Berti, 9-3.

Trea Turner doubled to lead off the Nationals’ seventh, extending a hit streak to 10-straight games and his on-base streak to 16-straight, and one out later, Turner scored from second on Juan Soto’s RBI double to right (4 for 4, 2 2B), 9-4 Miami. That was it for Marlins’ reliever Richard Bleier.

James Hoyt came on and walked Howie Kendrick and gave up a two-out RBI single to right by Luis García, 9-5.

Bacus gave up a leadoff single by Corey Dickerson, one-out walk to Jesús Sánchez, and RBI ground-rule double to center by Jorge Alfaro that made it a 10-5 game in the Marlins’ favor.

Ryne Harper got a weak grounder up the middle that Luis García got to, but a running throw wide of first allowed another run to score, 11-5.

Brett Eibner gave up back-to-back, one-out walks to Victor Robles and Trea Turner, and Adam Eaton followed with a three-run shot to right on a 1-1 fastball. Eaton’s 2nd of this season, 11-8 Marlins.

Brad Boxberger tried to stop the bleeding, and got outs Nos. 2-3 to keep the Fish up by three.

Kyle Finnegan worked around a one-out single for a scoreless top of the ninth.

Brandon Kintzler came on for the save in the bottom of the ninth and walked the first batter he faced, putting Asdrúbal Cabrera on to start the inning, but he got a force at second on a fielder’s choice, but no double play when Jesus Aguilar dropped the 4-to-3 throw on the 6-4-3 attempt. Yan Gomes grounded out for out No. 2. Eric Thames? Swinging K.

Final Score: 11-8 Marlins

Nationals now 11-15