WASHINGTON NATIONALS NOTES:
OPPONENT – MIAMI MARLINS
The Nationals and Marlins will play 13 times this season (7 in D.C., 6 in MIA)…Trevor Williams (2nd rd., 2013) and Stone Garrett (8th rd., 2014) were drafted by the Marlins…Hunter Harvey’s dad, Brian, saved 45 games and was an All-Star for the Marlins in 1993, his first of three seasons with them (1993-95)…Corey Dickerson spent two seasons (2020-21) in Miami…Bullpen coach Ricky Bones capped his 11-year MLB career with the Florida Marlins (2000-01).
MOVING ON
The Washington Nationals fell to the Miami Marlins, 5-4, in the first game of this three-game series on Tuesday night…Following this series, Washington will return to D.C. for a seven-game homestand against the Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres starting Friday.
- Josiah Gray tossed 7.0 innings for the second consecutive start…He allowed one earned run on seven hits with three walks and five srikeouts…After last night’s outing, Gray now ranks ninth in the National League with a 2.73 ERA.
- Jeimer Candelario (3-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB, R) and Dominic Smith (2-for-4, 2 RBI) each posted multi-hit efforts while Lane Thomas hit his fifth homer of the season.
SPEAKING OF DOM…
In his last 17 games, Dominic Smith is hitting .362 (21-for-58) with a .441 on-base percentage (8 BB, HBP, 8 SO)…He has two RBI in back-to-back games and has posted multi-hit efforts in three of the last four.
- Smith has reached base safely in nine consecutive games and 15 of 17 games during this stretch.
STREAKS ON STREAKS
Some streaks to keep your eyes on:
- Joey Meneses has reached base safely in 10 straight games, going is 16-for-42 (.381) with four doubles, a homer, 12 RBI, three walks and six runs scored during the streak…It is the second-longest on-base streak of his career behind his 11-game streak from Aug. 5-17, 2022.
- Lane Thomas has reached safely in 13 straight games and hit safely in 11 of the 13…Thomas is hitting .333 (18-for-54) with two doubles, a triple, four homers, eight RBI, three walks, one hit by pitch, two stolen bases and 12 runs scored during this streak…It is the third-longest on-base streak of his career (14 G, 2x).
NO HOMERS CLUB
Washington’s starting pitchers have not allowed a home run in six straight games and have allowed just one in eight games since May 8…It is the longest streak for Washington’s starting staff since Aug. 5-11, 2020 (6 games)…Washington’s last seven game streak was April 3-10, 2017.
- According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it is the longest active streak for a starting rotation in Major League Baseball and is tied for third-longest this season behind Pittsburgh (11) and Atlanta (8).
- The starting staff has pitched to a 2.91 ERA (14 ER/43.1 IP) during this eight-game stretch.
WINNING WAYS
The Nationals have won five of eight, eight of 13 and nine of their last 15 games…They are 13-10 (.565) dating to April 21 at Minnesota…The Nationals have won four of their last seven series with one split.
- Washington is 17-17 (.500) after losing six of seven games to start the season…That stretch included series against the Atlanta Braves (1-2) and Tampa Bay Rays (0-3) as well as a 1-0 loss to the Colorado Rockies on their Opening Day.
CJ IN DC
CJ Abrams is 6-for-16 (.375) with a double, two homers, five RBI, one stolen base and three runs scored over his last four games…He posted multi-hit efforts in a career-high three straight games, May 13-15.
- Abrams is hitting .302 with a .476 slugging percentage in 19 games since April 26.
- He leads the Nationals (with Joey Meneses) and is third among NL shortstops with 22 RBI.
DEFENSE NOT RESTING
Thanks to strong infield defense so far this season, Nationals opponents have a .230 batting average on ground balls, sixth-best in the National League (MLB avg: .243)…In 2022, the Nationals had the third-highest opponents’ batting average on ground balls in Major League Baseball (.260).
- Washington ranks tied for fourth in Major League Baseball with 42 double plays turned this season.
STARTING PITCHER – #1 MACKENZIE GORE
Left-handed starter was acquired by Washington at the 2022 Trade Deadline…Entered 2020 as the No. 6 prospect in all of baseball and 2021 as the No. 10 prospect, according to Baseball America …Was cited by Baseball America as having the “Best Fastball” in San Diego’s system entering the 2022 season and the “Best Slider” in 2021 and 2018…Was the 2017 Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year, just the second baseball player to win the award at the time (Dylan Bundy in 2011; Bobby Witt Jr. in 2019).
LAST START
Tossed 4.0 shutout innings with three strikeouts, two walks and four hits allowed on May 12 vs. New York (NL)…Was lifted after the fourth inning due to a high pitch count (96 pitches).
LAST TWO STARTS
Gore has allowed two earned runs in 10.0 innings (1.80 ERA) across his last two starts…He’s struck out 12 batters while walking just three.
vs. MIAMI
Faces the Marlins for the first time his career.
RANKS
Gore ranks second among all Major League left-handed pitchers, ranks sixth in all of Major League Baseball (3rd in the NL) with 11.20 strikeouts per 9.0 innings (min. 40.0 IP)…His 51 strikeouts rank 11th in the National League.
SWING AND A MISS
Gore ranks sixth among all MLB left-handed pitchers with 106 swings and misses this season, according to MLB Statcast…On April 19 vs. Baltimore, he induced a career-high 18 swings and misses in 6.0 innings pitched.
TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE
Gore’s curveball boasts a 41.1% whiff rate, third-best among all MLB left-handed pitchers (min. 25 PA)…His .171 opponents’ batting average (7-for-41) also ranks third among MLB lefties.
EARNING THE CAPITAL K IN MacKenzie
Gore’s 51 strikeouts through eight starts are the third-most in Nationals history (2005-pres.) by any pitcher in his first eight starts with the club behind Max Scherzer (66 SO in 2015), Gio Gonzalez (60 SO in 2012) and Patrick Corbin (58 SO in 2019).
- Gore needs 22 strikeouts today to pass Scherzer (72 in 2015) for the most strikeouts through a pitcher’s first nine starts with the club.
WELCOME TO D.C.
Earned the win in his Nationals debut on April 2 vs. Atlanta…Allowed one earned run on three hits with six strikeouts and four walks…With the win, Gore became the seventh Nationals pitcher (2005-pres.) to win his debut with the team while allowing three hits or less in at least 5.0 innings of work.
MIAMI MARLINS NOTES:
No release available.
