WASHINGTON — Red-hot Mark Reynolds and the Washington Nationals will go for the sweep in the finale of their four-game series against the Miami Marlins on Sunday.
Reynolds followed up his dramatic walk-off homer Friday night with two homers and a career-high 10 RBIs Saturday night as the Nationals demolished the Marlins 18-4.
In five at-bats Youth Derrius Guice Jersey , Reynolds homered, doubled, singled, homered and singled to tie his career high for hits along with the Nationals’ RBI mark.
“Yeah that’s like a good two weeks,” Reynolds said. “I mean like my last hit a guy dove and it went off his glove and went into left field. You got a little luck involved. Sometimes you just take a good swing the night before and feel confident going into the next day and that’s what happened.”
Since their team meeting following a July 4 loss to the Red Sox the Nationals (45-43) have won three straight, scoring 35 runs.
Manager Dave Martinez should rest easy, but now has a pleasant problem: where to put the righty Reynolds on Sunday when the Marlins pitch a right-hander and his other two first base options are lefty hitters.
“I’ve seen him like this, when he gets hot like this he can stay hot for a while, so we’ll have to figure something out,” Martinez said.
The Marlins got homers from Starlin Castro, J.T. Realmuto and Yadiel Rivera against Max Scherzer in a game that was tied 3-3 going to the bottom of the fifth before Washington pulled away for its 14th straight win over Miami.
“We haven’t had any success with them in a while now,” manager Don Mattingly said. “They’re a good lineup up and down, but we’ve pitched better than this.”
Scherzer (11-5) picked up his first win since June 5. Washington had been shut out in three of his past five starts.
“I remember I said after Tampa the run support is going to be there,” he said. “These guys are too good.”
Miami rookie Trevor Richards (2-5, 5.26 ERA) opposes right-hander Tanner Roark (3-10, 4.60) in the finale.
Roark is looking for his first win since June 6. Last time out he allowed nine runs on 10 hits — including two home runs — over seven innings of a loss to the Red Sox as he stayed in after a six-run fifth to save the arms in a tired bullpen.
“That’s the best I’ve felt in a long time Youth Nyheim Hines Jersey ,” Roark told MLB.com. “So other than two pitches, I feel like they base-hit me to death. What are you going to do?”
Roark is 5-8 with a 3.99 ERA in 22 games against the Marlins. Martin Prado is 10-for-23 against Roark and J.T. Realmuto is 10-for-26. Justin Bour is 5-for-29 but three of the hits were home runs.
Richards, who will make his first start against Washington, allowed four runs on nine hits with no walks across five innings in a no-decision Tuesday against the Rays. He struck out five. He is 2-3 with a 5.52 ERA since being recalled from Triple-A New Orleans on June 7.
“We’ve had a rough series so far,” Mattingly said. “Hopefully Trevor gets us on track tomorrow and we can put a win together and move on.”
Sanchez pitched effectively into the seventh and Freddie Freeman added three hits, lifting the Atlanta Braves to a 5-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.
”I know the potential for this team to be in the playoffs is really high,” Sanchez said. ”I’ve been in October games. I can bring a lot of things to October.”
Sanchez (4-2) retired 19 in a row at one point to help snap Atlanta’s season high four-game skid. The veteran right-hander exited with two outs in the seventh after being hit by a liner on his right side near his hip. A red welt was visible on his back, but he said afterward he was fine.
”He never throws a pitch I don’t think that he doesn’t know where he wants to put it,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
Sanchez struck out six in a row at one point. But after two easy outs in the seventh, his day ended quickly following a walk to Hernan Perez.
Perez stole second, and Brad Miller’s line drive deflected off Sanchez and out of shortstop Dansby Swanson’s reach to cut Atlanta’s lead to 2-1.
Sanchez didn’t appear too shaken up – smiling and getting high fives from the Braves dugout after exiting. Reliever Dan Winkler came in and recorded the final out of the inning.
Sanchez allowed one run off two hits and a walk. He finished with eight strikeouts.
”It’s fun to be able to play behind that,” Swanson said. ”He’s been tremendous.”
WILKERSON’S WOES
Brewers spot starter Aaron Wilkerson’s tough day actually started on Friday.
His original flight was delayed after getting called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs, so he instead traveled from Colorado Springs to Houston then Chicago. He arrived in Milwaukee at 3:30 a.m. on Saturday.
”And, they lost my bags on the way,” he said. ”It was kind of a rough one. But, it’s not an excuse for anything.”
Wilkerson (0-1) had taken the rotation turn of Brent Suter Youth Justin Bethel Jersey , who went on the 10-day disabled list with left forearm tightness on Friday.
Johan Camargo’s two-run single off Wilkerson gave Atlanta the lead in the first. Wilkerson allowed two runs off four hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out five.
FLEET-FOOTED FREEMAN
Freeman and Nick Markakis added consecutive run-scoring triples in the eighth as Atlanta scored three times in the inning to put the game out of reach.
Freeman came into the game in a slump, batting .159 over his last 17 games before his three-hit performance.
”I’m starting to feel a little better,” Freeman said. ”I’m seeing pitches, not swinging at balls in the batter’s box. That helps.”
QUICK NICK
Sanchez benefited from a heads up defensive play from Markakis in right field in the first inning. With runners on first and second, Travis Shaw flared a ball that should’ve loaded the bases.
Instead, Jesus Aguilar, at first, didn’t read the play quickly enough and Markakis fired a strike to Swanson at second base for the first of Sanchez’s 19 straight outs.
”Travis hit a ball that Aggie just didn’t get a good read on,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. ”That was our opportunity against Sanchez, for sure.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Braves: Rookie LF Ronald Acuna Jr. was out of the lineup after leaving with left groin tightness on Friday night.
Brewers: CF Lorenzo Cain (left groin strain) is close to returning from the 10-day disabled list and could be activated as soon as Sunday. … LF Ryan Braun was a late scratch in the starting lineup with tightness in his right side, but pinch hit in the ninth. … RHP Jorge Lopez was recalled for the fifth time this year to provide pitching depth. Infielder Nate Orf was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs.
UP NEXT
Braves: LHP Sean Newcomb (8-3, 3.10 ERA) looks to bounce back Sunday after allowing five runs without getting out of the third inning in an 8-5 loss to the Yankees on Tuesday. RHP Junior Guerra (5-5, 2.87) goes for Milwaukee and is holding opponents to a .217 average in 16 starts this year.