Reyes Hits in 24 Straight Games. Carlos Lee at 11. Marlins Fall to Nationals, 4-1

A rough second inning set the stage for a win for the Nationals today, despite a six-inning effort by Ricky Nolasco.  Yielding a two-run base hit to Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg, the second inning of the game proved to be the undoing of the Marlins in the matinee matchup.

Greg Dobbs put the only Miami run on the scoreboard, doubling to put Carlos Lee across the plate from second base.  While Lee has established a respectable streak in his own right, the distance from second to home looked daunting for the plus-sized first baseman. All ended well, as Lee was able to galumph his way to a standup RBI.

On the defensive side of the game, In a night of fours, Nolasco threw four strikeouts, four walks, and four earned runs in an unremarkable, yet thankfully long 6-inning appearance.

Chad Gaudin and Steve Cishek came out of the bullpen to hold the Nationals scoreless outside of the awful second inning.

Offensively, base hits by Jose Reyes and Carlos Lee continued streaks.  In Reyes’ case, it’s a streak that is gaining national attention, as it’s the longest streak in baseball, and one game shy of Kevin Millar’s third place 2002 25-hit streak for Marlins club history. Carlos Lee is up to 11 games in a row, and continues to deliver the goods necessary for the Marlins to break above the 3-run limit that has plagued the team for the first three months of the season.

Tomorrow is a day off as the Marlins take a train to Flushing for Matt LeBlanc to face Jon Niece’s Mets.  Personally, I’m good with the day off, as I’m out of town on vacation, visiting my brother in the wilds of Tarheel country. The beer is running like the tides at Scapa Flow, and I’m catching the worst of the debate as my Marlins continue to struggle.