South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Scherzer’s 16th win tops MLB
Nationals ace blanks Marlins over 6 innings
WASHINGTON — Max Scherzer is using all his tools to help keep the Nationals’ playoff hopes alive.
Scherzer pitched six scoreless innings, doubled and scored twice as the Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 8-2 on Friday night for his major league-leading 16th win.
After throwing seven shutout innings against the Cubs on Sunday only to watch Chicago win on a walk-off grand slam, Scherzer (16-5) left with a 5-0 lead and watched the Nationals thwart a Marlins rally.
Scherzer allowed at least one baserunner in four of six innings but worked out of trouble as Washington opened a sixgame
Late game
The Marlins-Nationals game was not complete in time for this edition. SunSentinel.com/ sports
homestand with little margin for error as it seeks to get back into playoff contention.
“They grinded me,” Scherzer said. “There were some spots in the game that could have swung the game the other way, and (Matt) Wieters did a great job behind the plate finding the right pitch to throw at the right time.”
Scherzer struck out seven with one walk and is 4-0 with a 1.13 ERA over his last six starts.
Ryan Zimmerman and Wieters homered, and Bryce Harper and Adam Eaton had three hits each for Washington, which has won two straight after losing seven of its previous nine.
Scherzer, who also reached on a fielders’ choice, has hit safely in seven of his last eight starts and is batting .296.
“I think biggest thing with Max is in big pressure situations he has the ability to put the ball in play to where you don’t have that kind of strikeout sitting in the nine hole,” Wieters said.
Austin Dean homered for his first career hit for the Marlins, who have lost six straight. Miami made two errors and Harper took advantage of center fielder Magneuris Sierra’s tentative play to turn a single into a double.
“We should have some pride in what we’re doing out there and I think we’ve Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer tossed six scoreless innings to earn his 16th win of the season Friday night as Washington defeated Miami, 8-2.
showed that through the course of the season for the most part, but here in the recent days it’s just unacceptable in what we’re watching,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.
Miami’s Dan Straily (4-6)
allowed five runs on nine hits in six innings.
Mattingly was ejected in the fourth inning for arguing balls and strikes after Derek Dietrich was called out on a 3-2 pitch that appeared to be outside.
The Nationals went ahead 1-0 in the second on Zimmerman’s 10th home run. After Wieters’ solo shot made it 3-0 in the fourth, Scherzer doubled and scored on Eaton’s double.
“That’s why I put in the
Marlins at Nationals
When/where: 1:35 p.m., Nationals Park, Washington D.C.
ON THE AIR
TV: Fox Sports Florida; Radio: 940-AM, 710-AM (Spanish)
ON THE MOUND
Marlins RHP Pablo López (2-3, 4.79 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) vs. Nationals LHP Gio Gonzalez (7-9, 4.12, 1.50): López is making his ninth start of the season after being called up in June. … Against the Nationals on July 27, the 22 year old allowed nine hits and four earned runs in 5 innings. … In his last start, López gave up five earned runs in 5 innings vs. the Braves. … López has pitched at least six innings in five of his eight outings. … A Hialeah native, Gonzalez is in his 11th MLB season. … Against Miami on July 28, Gonzalez scattered just three hits and one earned run in seven innings. … Gonzalez lasted just four innings in his last appearance, surrendering five hits, three walks and five earned runs vs. the Cardinals.
Monday— Off day; Tuesday— Marlins RHP Trevor Richards vs. Yankees LHP CC Sabathia
UPCOMING SERIES
Aug. 21-22 vs. Yankees, Aug. 23-26 vs. Braves, Aug. 28-29 at Red Sox work, run in between days so I can run the bases and pitch,” Scherzer said. “For me, that’s part of the game.”
Harper picked up his 500th career RBI with a single in the seventh, and Daniel Murphy extended his — Wells Dusenbury
hitting streak to 10 games.
The Marlins got two runs in the seventh off Trevor Gott, but three relievers held them scoreless for the final 2 1⁄3 innings.