Marlins Shut Out Nationals 8-0
WASHINGTON (AP) - Ricky Nolasco tossed a four-hitter to shut out Washington for the second time in two weeks and Giancarlo Stanton homered for the third straight day to lead the Miami Marlins to an 8-0 win over the Nationals on Sunday.
Nolasco also doubled in two runs when Bryce Harper lost his fly ball in the sun, and Greg Dobbs added three singles for Miami, which pounded out 14 hits.
The Marlins won two of three games in the weekend series against the NL East-leading Nationals (86-54), whose division lead slipped to 5 1/2 games over Atlanta after the Braves beat the New York Mets 3-2 in 10 innings.
Nolasco (12-12), who won his third straight and notched his fourth career shutout, also shut out the Nationals 9-0 on Aug. 28 against Stephen Strasburg. The right-hander struck out six and walked one, stifling a team that had scored 43 runs in its five previous games.
On a day Nationals manager Davey Johnson rested regulars Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond, Nolasco didn't allow a hit until Michael Morse's one-out single in the fifth.
Stanton hit the first pitch of the seventh inning from reliever Christian Garcia just over the wall in left for his 33rd homer of the season. He has 11 homers and 20 RBIs in 20 career games in Nationals Park.
Pitching on his 29th birthday, Nationals starter Edwin Jackson (9-10) lasted just 4 2-3 innings, giving up six earned runs on nine hits.
The Marlins broke out in the top of the second. With two outs, Dobbs and Donovan Solano grounded singles up the middle. Rob Brantly followed with another single up the middle, just beyond the reach of a diving Steve Lombardozzi, to score Dobbs.
Nolasco then hit a drive to deep center. Harper went back on the ball, caught up to it, but lost it in the sun. The ball fell beside him and Solano and Brantly scored with Nolasco ending up on second with a double.
In the fourth, Solano led off with a walk and advanced to second on a groundout. With two outs, Bryan Peterson singled home Solano and Justin Ruggiano's double to the wall in left-center scored Peterson.
In the fifth, Stanton singled and stole second. He went to third on a bloop single to left by Dobbs and scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Solano.
That was all for Jackson, who was replaced by Tom Goorzelanny.
Carlos Lee closed out the scoring with an RBI single in the eighth.
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