Washington Nationals Recap: Clint Robinson Shines In Win Over Marlins

Clint Robinson drove in three runs as the Nationals defeated the Marlins today 7-4 at Space Coast Stadium

Today, the Washington Nationals were back in Viera as they took on Jose Fernandez and the Miami Marlins. Most of the regulars were in the lineup and Jayson Werth played his first game in the outfield after playing designated hitter against the Tigers on Saturday. In the end, the Nats picked up the win, 7-4, and they are now 5-1 this spring.

Joe Ross and Tanner Roark both pitched on the same day for the second time this spring. Unlike last Wednesday against Tampa Bay, it was Ross who got the start this afternoon. After getting through the first 2.2 innings with only allowing one hit, Ross ran into trouble late in the third inning.

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After back-to-back singles, which included an error by Daniel Murphy, Christian Yelich hit a base hit to center that drove in Ichiro Suzuki and Miguel Rojas to give Miami a 2-0 lead. Martin Prado would then single to right, which made Dusty Baker go to Wander Suero to finish the inning. Ross gave up those two runs on four hits, struck out four, and walked one on the outing, but he was trying out a new pitch, a splitter:

As for Fernandez, he gave up no hits, walked one, and struck out one over two innings in his first start of the spring. In the bottom of the third, former Nats’ pitcher Edwin Jackson came in for Miami. Pedro Severino led off the inning with an infield. Then, Clint Robinson hit a two-run home run to right to tie the game at two. It was Robinson’s first home run of the spring.

Later in the inning, the Nats would have three straight singles to take the lead, culminated by Jayson Werth’s single to left that drove in Anthony Rendon to put Washington in front for the first time, 3-2.

In the fourth inning, after a one-out double by Severino, Robinson drove in this third run of the game when he hit a single to left to put the Nats up 4-2. Two batters later, after Robinson stole second, Rendon drove him in on a base hit to left to increase the lead to 5-2. Out of the nine hits the Nats had today, Jackson gave up eight of them.

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Roark would come in for Ross in the fourth and he would keep the Marlins’ offense off the board. He went three innings, gave up no runs on four hits, struck out three batters, and walked one.

A few Nats made their spring debuts today as Oliver Perez, Felipe Rivero, and Jonathan Papelbon had their first outings. Perez threw a 1-2-3 seventh inning and struck out one batter. As for Rivero, he had a rough eighth. Miami began the inning with a single by Destin Hood and a walk by Robert Andino. Then, Tomas Telis hit a groundout to second, but Hood scored on an error by Stephen Drew, who came in for Danny Espinosa at shortstop. The Nats’ lead would be cut to one when Dan Black drove in Telis with a sacrifice fly to center.

However, the Nationals would get both runs back in the bottom of the inning. Chris Heisey led off the inning with a walk. Then, Jason Martinson hit a double to center and Heisey scored on an error by Hood in center field. Three batters later, Raudy Read drove in Martinson with a sacrifice fly to center to put the Nats up 7-4.

In the top of the ninth, Papelbon came in to the game to some boos by the Space Coast Stadium crowd, but he retired the Marlins in order to pick up the save and end the game:

Next: District Daily: Rivero Sees Himself As Future Closer

The Washington Nationals will be back in action tomorrow afternoon as they take on the Houston Astros in Kissimmee, Florida. Max Scherzer will start for the Nats against his former teammate, Doug Fister. You can catch the game on MLB.TV at 1:05 PM ET.

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