Stephen Strasburg's Learning Curve And A Chat With The Cat

A week of chatter about Washington Nationals' right-hander Stephen Strasburg ended with the Nats' 24-year-old right-hander shutting the Miami Marlins out for six innings on Sunday.

Marlins Vs. Nationals Recap: Stephen Strasburg Sharp In 4-1 Win

Stephen Strasburg continued his dominance of the Miami Marlins, shutting them out over six innings and leading the Nationals to a 4-1 win Sunday. Strasburg held Miami to just three hits while striking out six to pick up his 12th win of the season.

It wasn't just on the mound where Strasburg was good, he also scored the Nats' first two runs with an RBI single in the bottom of the 2nd. Adam LaRoche would add two more runs on a single later in the inning to put Washington up 4-0.

The Marlins would score one run off Craig Stammen in the seventh on a Greg Dobbs double, but the bleeding would be cut off after that.

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Sunday Is Michael Morse Bobblehead Day At Nationals Park

Marlins Vs. Nationals: Steve Lombardozzi To Lead Off On Sunday, Jesus Flores Behind The Plate

The Washington Nationals wrap up their four-game weekend series with the Miami Marlins on Sunday, sending Stephen Strasburg to the hill against a Marlins team he has dominated in his young career. Steve Lombardozzi will lead off for Davey Johnson's club against Miami starter Ricky Nolasco, and one day after the debut of new catcher Kurt Suzuki, Jesus Flores will be behind the dish.

The full Washington lineup, via @NationalsPR:

#Nationals lineup vs. MIA - Lombardozzi 4, Harper 8, Zimmerman 5, LaRoche 3, Morse 7, Werth 9, Espinosa 6, Flores 2, Strasburg 1

— Nationals PR (@NationalsPR) August 5, 2012

The Florida lineup, courtesy of Dan Kolko of MASN:

Marlins lineup: Petersen 7, Cousins 9, Reyes 6, Lee 3, Dobbs, Ruggiano 8, Solano 4, Buck 2, Nolasco 1

— Dan Kolko (@masnKolko) August 5, 2012

For more on this and all things Washington Nationals baseball, please check out Federal Baseball. And as always, please check out the SB Nation MLB Baseball hub page for more on this and every Major League series.

Nationals Vs. Marlins: Stephen Strasburg Looks To Maintain Miami Dominance In Sunday Start

By this point in the season, Washington Nationals (64-43) fans should learn to never count their team out. The Nats scored six runs in the eight inning on Saturday night to defeat the Miami Marlins 10-7, and on Sunday send young ace Stephen Strasburg (11-5, 3.12 ERA) to the hill looking for his 12th win of the season.

Strasburg currently holds a 21-inning scoreless streak against Miami, and in six career starts against the Marlins is 3-1 with a 1.83 ERA. The righthander will be looking to shake off a rough last outing, in which he allowed six runs to the Phillies in an 8-0 loss.

Ricky Nolasco (8-10, 4.90 ERA) will take the mound for Miami (49-59). Nolasco has struggled of late, going 0-4 with a 7.48 ERA in his last four starts. In his only contest with Washington this season, Nolasco allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings of work on July 15.

For more on this and all things Washington Nationals baseball, please check out Federal Baseball. And as always, please check out the SB Nation MLB Baseball hub page for more on this and every Major League series.

Nationals Vs. Marlins: Washington Adds Six In The Eighth To Top Miami

The Washington Nationals sure got their late-inning rally. Trailing 6-4 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, they scored six runs to grab a late-lead to top the visiting Miami Marlins by a final score of 10-7 at Nationals Park.

A pair of run-scoring singles by Steve Lombardozzi and Tyler Moore against the Marlins' Mike Dunn knotted the score at six before the Nats would tack on four more runs, including homers from Danny Espinosa and Bryce Harper. It marked Espinosa's second homer of the contest.

Reliever Ryan Mattheus was credited with the win after pitching for most of the seventh and eighth innings.

The final game of the four-game series is scheduled for Sunday at 1:35 p.m. EST. Stephen Strasburgh will be on the mound for the Nats.

For more on this and all things Washington Nationals baseball, please check out Federal Baseball. And as always, please check out the SB Nation MLB Baseball hub page for more on this and every Major League series.

Nationals Vs. Marlins: Jordan Zimmermann's Six-Inning Streak Snapped

For starter Jordan Zimmermann, the streak is over.

For 21 consecutive starts, the Washington Nationals right-hander had lasted at least six innings, but against the visiting Miami Marlins on Saturday night, Zimmermann didn't reach his usual bench mark. Throwing 96 pitches over five innings, he didn't return for the sixth, replaced by reliever Tom Gorzelanny instead.

Zimmermann surrendered five runs (four earned) on seven hits over those first five innings, leaving the game while Washington trailed by a score of 5-3. Since, though, they added a run in the bottom of the sixth and trail by just one run two-thirds of the way through the contest at Nationals Park.

Oddly enough, he might've been more successful at the plate. In the third, he was walked and eventually scored on a single from Ryan Zimmerman.

For more on this and all things Washington Nationals baseball, please check out Federal Baseball. And as always, please check out the SB Nation MLB Baseball hub page for more on this and every Major League series.

Nationals Vs. Marlins Score Update: Washington, Miami Tied After Four Innings

The Washington Nationals got in a bit of a hole early. They gave up a pair of runs in the top of the second inning, capped off by an RBI double from catcher John Buck, and they trailed, as a result, 2-0. But since they have caught up a bit, and after four innings at Nationals Park, they are tied with the visiting Miami Marlins at three.

The Nats' rally of sorts came in the bottom of the third when they added two runs -- a single from Ryan Zimmerman that scored Jordan Zimmerman and then another single from Michael Morse that drove in Bryce Harper.

On the mound for Washington has been Jordan Zimmerman, who has given up two earned runs over four innings, striking out three as well.

For more on this and all things Washington Nationals baseball, please check out Federal Baseball. And as always, please check out the SB Nation MLB Baseball hub page for more on this and every Major League series.

Marlins Vs. Nationals: Catcher Sandy Leon Sent Down With Arrival Of Kurt Suzuki

The Washington Nationals will take on the Florida Marlins on Saturday at Nationals Park, and there will be a new player in the Nats clubhouse, former Oakland Athletic Kurt Suzuki. The addition of Suzuki to the roster meant some player movement would be needed, and the team decided to send down young backstop Sandy Leon to Syracuse.

Via the team's official twitter feed:

OFFICIAL: #Nats option C Sandy Leon to @syracusechiefs to clear space for addition of C @kurtsuzuki

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 4, 2012

Suzuki has played six seasons in the major leagues, with manager Davey Johnson referring to him as a No. 1 catcher immediately after the acquisition, so the demotion of Leon should come as no surprise. Leon played in ten games for Washington this season, batting .250 with two runs batted in over 28 at-bats.

For more on this and all things Washington Nationals baseball, please check out Federal Baseball. And as always, please check out the SB Nation MLB Baseball hub page for more on this and every Major League series.

Marlins Vs. Nationals Lineups: New Acquisition Kurt Suzuki Behind The Plate On Saturday Night

After their split in a day-night doubleheader on Friday, the Washington Nationals and Florida Marlins are back at it again Saturday in the third matchup of a four-game weekend set. New acquisition Kurt Suzuki will be behind the plate for Washington when they take the field at Nats Park.

The full Washington lineup, via @NationalsPR:

#Nationals lineup vs. MIA - Espinosa 6, Harper 9, Zimmerman 5, Morse 7, LaRoche 3, Werth 8, Suzuki 2, Lombardozzi 4, Zimmermann 1

— Nationals PR (@NationalsPR) August 4, 2012

The Florida lineup, courtesy of the Marlins official twitter feed:

#Marlins lineup vs. WAS: Petersen LF, Cousins RF, Reyes SS, Lee 1B, Dobbs 3B, Solano 2B, Hernandez CF, Buck C, Buehrle P

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) August 4, 2012

For more on this and all things Washington Nationals baseball, please check out Federal Baseball. And as always, please check out the SB Nation MLB Baseball hub page for more on this and every Major League series.

Marlins Vs. Nationals Preview: Jordan Zimmermann Gets The Start On The Mound For Washington

The Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins split their Friday double-header in the first two of their four-game weekend series at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.

These two teams will be back at it once again on Saturday as the Nats try to increase their lead in the NL East standings.

Jordan Zimmermann will get the start on the mound for the Nationals. On Thursday, the right-hander was awarded National League Pitcher of the Month for July as he went 4-0 and had a staggering ERA of 0.97, allowing no more than one run in his six starts in the month.

Zimmermann is getting his first start of the month after overcoming inflammation in his right shoulder.

For more on this and all things Washington Nationals baseball, please check out Federal Baseball. And as always, please check out the SB Nation MLB Baseball hub page for more on this and every Major League series.

Marlins Vs. Nationals Recap: Josh Johnson Pitches Miami To 5-1 Win

The Washington Nationals dropped the second game of Friday's doubleheader against the Marlins, 5-2. Nats starter Gio Gonzalez was pitching well and cruising through the first five innings before things came apart in the top of the sixth. The Fish strung five hits together in the sixth to put a three-spot up on the board, creating a lead they would not relinquish. Carlos Lee came through with a two-run single and Greg Dobbs followed that up with a single to left that scored Jose Reyes. Gonzalez gave up four straight two-out singles in the inning. He finished his night with 10 strikeouts in eight innings of work but the offense could not counter against Josh Johnson after the sixth inning Miami rally.

Johnson pitched 8.2 innings, giving up just five hits and one earned run. He struck out nine Nats en route to his seventh win of the season. Ryan Zimmerman brought home Stephen Lombardozzi in the first inning on a sacrifice fly, but Johnson would completely settle in after that.

Jordan Zimmermann will now take the ball for Davey Johnson on Saturday to try and get Washington back on track.

For more on this and all things Washington Nationals baseball, please check out Federal Baseball. And as always, please check out the SB Nation MLB Baseball hub page for more on this and every Major League series.

Marlins Vs. Nationals: Washington Takes Game 1, 7-3

The Washington Nationals took down the Miami Marlins in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Nationals Park by the score of 7-3.

The Nationals jumped on spot-starter Brad Hand, scoring all seven of their runs in the first four innings. Adam LaRoche had a big game, going 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI's. Ryan Zimmerman also chimed in with two hits to help pace the offense.

John Lannan was good enough in his start, going six innings, allowing four runs and three earned runs while striking out four but walking five.

The Marlins were able to cut the lead to 7-4 with a late rally, but it was not enough to pull out the victory.

For more on this and all things Washington Nationals baseball, please check out Federal Baseball. And as always, please check out the SB Nation MLB Baseball hub page for more on this and every Major League series.

Nationals Trade For Oakland Catcher Kurt Suzuki

The Washington Nationals traded minor league catcher David Freitas to the Oakland Athletics for catcher Kurt Suzuki. There is no word when Suzuki will be available to catch for the Nationals.

Marlins Vs. Nationals Preview: Washington Looks To Lengthen NL East Lead In Friday Doubleheader

The Nationals are no longer leading the NL in wins and are just 2.5 games ahead of the Atlanta Braves for the NL East lead, but can work to fix that with a four-game series against the Miami Marlins, starting on Friday.