Miami @ Washington preview
Nationals Park
Last Meeting ( Aug 29, 2012 ) Washington 8, Miami 4
Washington fans will see Stephen Strasburg pitch at home for the last time this season Friday, when the Nationals host the Miami Marlins in the opener of their three-game series at Nationals Park. Strasburg, who will make his final start at New York on Wednesday before being shut down for the year, has worked 156 1/3 innings thus far.
The Nationals, who lead Atlanta by 7 1/2 games in the National League East, are 7-1 on their 11-game homestand. They have outscored their opponents 53-23 during the homestand, which included a four-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs during which they scored 31 runs while allowing only nine. Washington flexed its muscles against Chicago, belting 14 homers in the last three contests. Adam LaRoche has gone deep in four straight games and has six blasts in his last six contests. Miami returns to the road following a 3-6 homestand that concluded with Wednesday's 6-2 triumph over Milwaukee.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Miami), MASN 2 (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins RH Jacob Turner (0-2, 6.55 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (15-6, 2.94)
Turner is searching for his first win with Miami since being acquired from Detroit on July 23. The 21-year-old made his Marlins debut at Arizona on Aug. 22, allowing three runs over six innings in a loss. Turner also fell to Washington seven days later as he was tagged for five runs in five frames.
Strasburg did not receive a decision against St. Louis on Sunday despite allowing only two hits in six scoreless innings. It was the fifth time in six starts the 24-year-old yielded two runs or fewer. Strasburg fell to 4-2 lifetime versus the Marlins on Aug. 28, when he surrendered seven runs - five earned - and nine hits over five innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Miami RHP Juan Carlos Oviedo underwent Tommy John surgery on Thursday and will miss approximately one year. Oviedo, who has not pitched for the Marlins this season after going 1-4 in 68 relief appearances in 2011.
2. Washington 3B Ryan Zimmerman enters with an 11-game hitting streak.
3. Marlins LHP Mark Buehrle is 26 1/3 frames away from reaching 200 innings for the 12th consecutive year.