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Miami Marlins Morning Catch: Marlins 4, Nationals 5: Stat Wrap Recap

By Sean Millerick |

Good morning, Marlin Maniac readers and welcome to Morning Catch, the daily morning news and notes column from MarlinManiac.com about your Miami Marlins.

Following a 6-4 Marlins victory on Thursday, Friday night saw a pair of aces on the hill when Jose Fernandez and Max Scherzer faced off at Nationals Park.  The duel lived up to its billing, with both pitchers allowing only two runs and five hits on the night. Unfortunately the Nationals would manage to pull this one out in the end for a 5-4 win in extra innings. 

Christian Yelich staked Miami to a first inning lead with his 7th home run of the year, but Scherzer would rally quickly, holding the Fish to just three hits across the next six frames.  Fernandez was certainly effective, carving up Washington for 8 Ks, but piled up his pitch count in the process. As a result, he’d fail to make it out of the sixth, exiting shortly after allowing the tying run.

By the end of seven, Scherzer was done as well, and the outcome was entrusted to the bullpens.  Miami would use five relievers, and Washington six. Advancing to third on a passed ball, Jayson Werth would score the winning run in the bottom of the 10th on a Jose Lobaton sac fly, face-planting across the plate just ahead of a rocket throw by Yelich.

While a 5-4 game might suggest a little more offensive brilliance than this, it’s interesting to note that the two teams went a collective 1 for 18 with RISP.

The high bullpen use could have some big implications for the rest of the series, as Game 3 is an afternoon tilt. Justin Nicolino will take the hill for the Fish, while the Nats will counter with Jordan Zimmerman.

But we’ll close with our Stat Wrap.  And as the rule is a stat/factoid for every inning played, we’ll even have a bonus round this time out.

  • Dee Gordon Watch: 7-game hit streak, .333 on the year.
  • Four-game hit streak: Yelich, Justin Bour, Marcell Ozuna.
  • With Yelich’s 1st inning dinger, the Marlins have homered in four straight games.
  • Both clubs had nine hits in the contest.
  • A J.T. Realmuto passed ball loomed large in the loss; it was his 11th this year.
  • Speaking of J.T., yesterday marks his first time in his last 12 games he failed to get a hit or an RBI.
  • Ichiro Watch: 2,933 on the career thanks to an infield single in the 8th.
  • On a back and forth night, this game featured four lead changes and two ties.
  • Player of the game? SS Miguel Rojas, who went 2 for 3 with a run and walk.
  • The Marlins might have lost the game, but it could be worse; they could have actually gotten lost in Jayson Werth’s beard.

ICYMI: Jarred Cosart making strides, and Marlins took 2 of 3 from the Mets

From Around the Web:

Miami Marlins should trade Marcell Ozuna — Scott Gelman, Fish Stripes

Several players inside the Marlins’ clubhouse do not want to see Marcell Ozuna traded. But if the Miami Marlins want to improve in 2016, trading Ozuna would likely be the best thing to do.

In the days leading up to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, Ozuna reportedly drew a notable amount of interest. Ozuna was in Triple-A at the time and opposing clubs likely viewed Ozuna as a starting outfielder that can provide occasional power. He has also established himself as a plus center fielder defensively, which more likely than not made him even more attractive to interested clubs. (Read More Here)

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