Miami Marlins Aim for First Series Sweep Against Washington Nationals
Marlins Seek Third Straight Win
The Miami Marlins are gearing up to face the Washington Nationals on Sunday. They have a chance to achieve their first series sweep of the season.
A Thrilling Game on Saturday
On Saturday, the Marlins barely managed to hold off a late comeback by the Nationals. They secured a 4-3 win, despite the Nationals scoring twice in the ninth inning and loading the bases.
Winning Streak on the Line
The Marlins are aiming for their first three-game winning streak since April 20-22. Although they haven’t swept a series yet this season, they did win three of four games in their opening series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Pitching Matchup
In the final game of the series, Marlins right-hander Eury Perez (0-1, 12.00 ERA) will go up against left-hander MacKenzie Gore (3-5, 2.88).
Perez’s Return to the Mound
Perez will be making his second start since returning from Tommy John surgery. This injury kept him out for part of the 2023 season and all of 2024. In his recent start, a 10-3 loss to the Pirates, Perez gave up four runs on four hits over three innings. He struck out five and walked two, using 39 pitches to get through a tough third inning.
Marlins manager Clayton McCullough shared his thoughts on Perez’s performance: “He faced some deep counts and foul balls. I thought he threw some good sliders. His fastball had good velocity. His command will improve as he gets back into the rhythm of things.”
Perez has a strong record against Washington, with a 1-0 record and a 2.30 ERA in three career starts.
Gore’s Recent Performance
Gore has been impressive in his past four starts, with a 1-1 record and a 1.19 ERA. He has struck out 33 batters in 22 2/3 innings and leads the National League with 114 strikeouts.
In his last start against the New York Mets, Gore left with a 4-2 lead after six innings. However, the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead, and the Nationals lost 5-4 in 10 innings. Gore gave up five hits and struck out six without a walk.
Reflecting on his performance, Gore said, “I thought it was one of those days where we made pitches when we needed to. I don’t think I was great. But I thought we made pitches when we needed to, and we did a nice job.”
Gore has a 2-2 record with a 2.97 ERA in five career starts against Miami.
Key Players and Recent Games
On Saturday, Jesus Sanchez had two hits, including a home run. Calvin Faucher retired James Wood with two outs in the ninth inning to preserve the win. Liam Hicks and Dane Myers each had two hits for Miami, which has won three of its last four games.
Marlins manager Clayton McCullough praised the team’s effort: “That is a great win. All things considered—the quick turnaround, how things transpired last night—for our group to come back today, put together a really good team effort and to hold on there at the end, get the first two games of this series, [I’m] really proud of our group.”
The Marlins won 11-9 on Friday in a game that ended after midnight due to a rain delay of more than two hours.
For Washington, CJ Abrams and Alex Call each had two hits. The Nationals have lost seven straight games.
Nationals manager Dave Martinez emphasized the need for a full-game effort: “Once again, we made a rally there late. But we’ve got to start rallying from the first inning on. I sound like a broken record, but we’ve got to remember we play nine innings. The first inning means a lot, too, not just the last two.”
The Nationals have scored 30 runs in 12 games this month.
