Game Preview: Nationals look to sweep the Miami Marlins to end homestand

Game preview for today, Sunday, September 18th, as the Washington Nationals look to sweep the Miami Marlins and close out this homestand.

by The Nats Report Newsroom

Updated September 18, 2022

Washington D.C. - Today, the Washington Nationals look to sweep the Miami Marlins and close out this homestand before hitting the road. A win on Sunday would give the Nationals their first sweep of the season.

Washington last swept Miami, April 30-May 2, 2021, at Nationals Park. The Nationals will send RHP Aníbal Sánchez to the mound to face the Marlins for the ﬁrst time this season. Aníbal Sánchez last faced Miami on Aug. 23, 2020, and won that game after he pitched 7.0 innings and allowed one run on ﬁve hits at Nationals Park. In all, he has faced the Marlins 10 times (9GS) and has collected a win in three of his last four starts, and the Nationals have won all four games.

Last night

The Washington Nationals clubbed four home runs and two doubles en route to the 5–3 series-clinching win over the Miami Marlins on Saturday afternoon. All six of Washington’s hits were extra-base hits, and for the second game in a row, Washington’s bullpen combined on a scoreless effort, allowing just one hit with five strikeouts and zero walks in 5.0 innings of work.

The Nationals scored a run in the first five innings, the first time they’ve done that since April 24, 2021, at New York (NL), according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Game Notes

Luis García has reached base safely in a career-high 20 straight games, the longest active streak in Major League Baseball and the second-longest streak by a Nationals player this season.
In 39 games since making his Major League debut on Aug. 2, Joey Meneses is hitting .316 with ten doubles, nine home runs, 23 RBI, eight walks, and 25 runs scored. He has 15 multi-hit eﬀorts.
RHP Aníbal Sánchez enters this start leading Major League Baseball in ERA (1.16) since Aug. 18 (min. 20.0 IP). He’s allowed just three earned runs in 23.1 innings in five starts since Aug. 18. Opposing batters are 10-for-75 (.133) during this stretch. While he has only been credited with two wins, the Nationals are 4–1 in these five starts.
The Nationals rank fourth in Major League Baseball (2nd in NL) with 86 runs scored since Aug. 30. The Nationals only trail the Los Angeles Dodgers (92) among National League clubs.