Fish Wrap - Marlins 9, Nationals 5

The Marlins were looking to secure the series win against the Nationals and they did just that.

This is going to be a very short recap.  That said, let's how the scoring went.

In the first, the Marlins wasted next to no time in getting on the board early and often against Scott Olsen and the Nationals.  With one out Logan Morrison singled to center and Dan Uggla followed suit with a single of his own to center to put runners at first and second with two outs.  Cody Ross hit a single to left to plate LoMo while moving Danny to third. Mike Stanton got his first of five hits for the night by doubling home Danny and Cody.  Donnie Murphy kept the hit parade going by hitting another double to score Stanton.  The Marlins sent all nine batters to the plate in the first.  When it was all said and done, the Marlins scored 4 runs on 5 hits to start out the game.

While the Marlins broke out the sticks, that didn't mean that the Marlins pitchers, including starter Chris Volstad wouldn't keep the Nationals faithful in there seats.  In the bottom of the first Volstad walked Roger Bernadina, the first hitter, he faced.  Bernadina would later steal second and with two outs Ryan Zimmerman hit a single to center to score the Nationals first run.  So after one inning, it was Marlins 4, Nationals 1.

In the second inning, Hanley Ramirez led off with a home run.  LoMo followed with a singled and Gaby Sanchez walked to put runners on first and second with no outs.  Ollie retired the next two hitters but his fortunes soon changed when Stanton an infield single to score LoMo.  And that ended Olsen's night on the mound.  Miguel Batista came on in relief and didn't fair much better.  Murphy singled to bring home Gaby making the score Marlins 7, Nationals 1.  That would be all the runs the Marlins would need.

Volstad would have actually retired the Nationals in order in the bottom of the second, but Hanley couldn't glove a routine play.  But no matter, the Nats didn't score.  

After this point in the game crap happened.  Volstad gave up a couple of home runs and the bullpen tried to prove, successfully,  that Volstad wasn't the only one who could be scored upon.  However, in the seventh, Stanton crushed a pitch to left field to make sure the Nationals would need a grand slam to tie the game.

Leo Nunez pitched the ninth, and rediscovering his fastball retired the Nats in order.

It wasn't a pretty game by any stretch of the imagination, and many fielders, for both teams, have the official scorer to thank for calling some of the plays hits.  But who cares, the Marlins won and are now back to .500.  And the team had to climb back to there, in order to go above it.