Marlins at Nationals
The Washington Nationals were projected to be involved in a four-team race for supremacy in the National League East, but 23 losses in their last 33 contests have pushed the club closer to the division's basement. The host Nationals look to snap a season-high five-game losing skid on Friday when they open a four-game series versus the last-place Miami Marlins, who have won six in a row.
Frustrations boiled over on Thursday afternoon as Howie Kendrick and manager Dave Martinez were ejected in the eighth inning of a 6-4 setback to the New York Mets, with the loss dropping Washington 12 games under .500 for the first time since the end of the 2010 season. Juan Soto had a single, double and triple on Thursday to improve to 12-for-26 with a homer, six RBIs and four runs scored during his seven-game hitting streak. The 20-year-old Dominican went 1-for-11 with five strikeouts against Miami on April 19-21, with the Marlins taking two of three in the series. Garrett Cooper, who did not play in that series, homered for the second straight day on Thursday as his grand slam highlighted a five-run rally in the ninth inning of Miami's 5-2 victory versus Detroit.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Miami), MASN (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins RH Pablo Lopez (3-5, 5.06 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Kyle McGowin (0-0, 6.00)
Lopez answered a disastrous 10-run, 10-hit performance that included three homers in three innings with a sterling effort versus the New York Mets, against whom he allowed just one hit over seven scoreless frames on Saturday. "You find out what a guy is made of," manager Don Mattingly said of the 23-year-old Venezuelan. "He took a beating in New York. Nothing went right. There were two ways to go -- either he was going to come out and pitch as if he were afraid of those guys or he was going to be aggressive." Matt Adams is 4-for-5 versus Lopez, who sports an 0-1 mark with a 7.59 ERA and 16.9 WHIP in two career encounters with Washington.
McGowin will make his seventh career appearance and second start on Friday as he draws into the rotation in place of the injured Jeremy Hellickson (shoulder) and Anibal Sanchez (hamstring). The 27-year-old relieved Hellickson on Sunday and allowed three runs on as many hits in three innings of a no-decision versus the Chicago Cubs. Prior to that relief appearance, McGowin posted a 4.32 ERA and 1.30 WHIP with a 50-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 41 2/3 innings (eight starts) with Triple-A Fresno.
WALK-OFFS
1. Miami 2B Neil Walker has 17 hits in his last 14 games, although he went 1-for-10 in the previous series against Washington.
2. Washington 3B Anthony Rendon has answered a seven-game hitting streak by going 1-for-11 in his last three contests.
3. Marlins OF Harold Ramirez is 5-for-13 with four runs scored in his last three games.