The Washington Nationals were hoping to hook the Florida Marlins with a third straight loss, but the Nats leave Miami empty handed on Sunday as they couldn't get a run across the plate while the Fish battered starter Livan Hernandez and the bullpen with hits in an 8-0 loss.
Marlins pitcher Anibal Sanchez was efficient in silencing the Nationals offense striking out eleven in seven-innings and giving up no walks. Sanchez held a no-hitting until the seventh-inning when right fielder Laynce NIx hit a ball into right field and Mike Stanton could not make a play on it. Left fielder Michael Morse followed up with a single of his own the next at-bat. Washington was only able to muster just four hits in the game.
Hernandez did not have the same sort of game as Sanchez had. Hernandez looked unsharp most of the day and went five-innings giving up six runs on eight hits. The big blow came in the fifth-inning when Gaby Sanchez with two on and two out took Hernandez yard for a three-run home run. The Marlins slowly picked apart the Nationals pitching staff. Every Nationals pitcher in Sunday's game gave up at least one run except for reliever Todd Coffey. Brian Broderick and Henry Rodriguez also pitched an inning of relief. The Marlins had 13 hits in the game.
The Nationals fall to 16-18 and continue to hold onto fourth place in the NL East.