Miami @ Washington preview
Nationals Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 22, 2013 ) Miami 4, Washington 2
A healthy dose of rain is all that has cooled down the surging Washington Nationals of late. After Mother Nature prevented baseball from being played in the nation's capital on Saturday, the Miami Marlins and Nationals will complete their four-game series with a day/night doubleheader on Sunday. The inclement weather also played a role for both Atlanta and St. Louis - as the clubs could have secured a National League East title and postseason berth, respectively, had Washington lost on Saturday.
The Nationals have been surging, winning 12 of their last 14 to sit 4 1/2 games behind Cincinnati in the race for the second wild card with eight games remaining on their schedule. "We're going to keep fighting," Span said. "Mathematically, it hasn't looked good for the last month or so, but I've seen a lot of crazy things happen. I've been a part of a lot of crazy things." The Marlins have dropped 12 of their last 15 games.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Miami), MASN (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins LH Brian Flynn (0-2, 9.64 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (7-9, 2.96)Flynn has been blitzed for six runs in each of his last two outings. After issuing six walks in a loss to Atlanta on Sept. 12, the 23-year-old permitted 11 hits over six innings in a 6-4 setback to Philadelphia five days later. Flynn has allowed four homers and 10 walks in 14 innings this season.
After getting pushed back prior to a pair of scheduled starts, Strasburg looks to be a go on Sunday. The 25-year-old fireballer has been sidelined with forearm tightness - although his throwing session on Thursday went off without a hitch. Strasburg picked up the win in his last outing on Sept. 8 despite permitting four runs on as many hits in six innings against Miami.
WALK-OFFS
1. Washington has won all eight home meetings with Miami, outscoring the Marlins by a gaudy 37-7 margin.
2. Marlins 2B Donovan Solano ended RHP Jordan Zimmermann's no-hit bid with a two-out single in the sixth inning on Friday. Solano has hit safely in four straight contests and 10 of his last 11.
3. The Nationals will honor retiring manager Davey Johnson with a video montage prior to the first game.
PREDICTION: Nationals 4, Marlins 0