The Miami Marlins, their momentum halted by a poor series in Philadelphia, hope to get back on track on Friday when they play host to the Washington Nationals in the opener of a weekend series.
Miami was swept in three games by the Phillies, capped by a 4-1 loss on Wednesday. Prior to that, however, the Marlins won three consecutive series, beating the Los Angeles Angels, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds.
Marlins manager Clayton McCullough didn't see any trend in Philadelphia set.
"Three losses," he said plainly. He added, "We've been in some games, but at the end of the day, (the Phillies) won the season series, they swept the series here in their place. We'd have liked to at least come away with one. No moral victories, they swept us here and it doesn't feel great."
Against Washington on Friday, the Marlins will start Ryan Gusto (0-3, 4.70 ERA). The right-hander has never won a game with the Marlins, going 0-6 over the past two years.
Gusto won his lone career start against Washington, prevailing in his final game with the Houston Astros on July 30, 2025, before he was traded to the Marlins the next day. He threw six innings of one-run ball, striking out five.
He faced the Nationals once this year, a two-inning relief outing on June 2, when he permitted three runs on five hits.
If the Marlins find themselves in a close game in the ninth inning on Friday, they will likely turn to Pete Fairbanks, who has 18 saves in his first year as the team's closer.
Fairbanks has blown three save chances, and his ERA (5.87) is more than three runs higher than it was last year when he pitched for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Even so, the 32-year-old veteran has pitched much better lately. In his past eight outings, all one-inning stints, Fairbanks has struck out 13 while allowing just one hit, two walks and no runs.
The Nationals enter play Friday having lost five of their past six games. They lost two of three games against the Texas Rangers this week in Arlington, Texas, failing to score in both of their defeats.
On Thursday, Washington managed just one hit, Brady House's second-inning single, during a 2-0 loss. Jacob deGrom and three Rangers relievers struck out 15 while walking four.
Brad Lord (5-2, 4.04 ERA) will get the ball for the Nationals on Friday. The right-hander has never started a game against Miami, but he is 0-0 with a 1.50 ERA in four career relief appearances vs. the Marlins.
The Nationals will likely be without star shortstop C.J. Abrams, who missed the Thursday game due to a sprained left ankle.
"After the (Wednesday) game, he was like, 'Yeah, it's bothering me, but I think I'll be good tomorrow.'" Nationals manager Blake Butera said Thursday. "Then this morning, I checked in with him, and he (said) it just kind of blew up on him."
Abrams was replaced in the lineup by Nasim Nunez, a former Marlins second-round pick who was selected by Washington in the 2023 Rule 5 draft. He went 0-for-3, dropping his average to .224.
Nunez has only five career homers, but two of them came against Miami.
--Field Level Media
