MLB Game Preview - Miami at Washington

Fri Aug 30, 2019 7:05 PM EDT

For the third time this week, the Miami Marlins will be opposed by one of their former starting pitchers.

On Friday night, it will be Washington Nationals right-hander Anibal Sanchez (8-6, 3.81 ERA). He will be opposed by Miami right-hander Elieser Hernandez (3-5, 4.97 ERA).

So far this week, the Marlins are 0-2 against their former pitchers, getting struck out 11 times by Luis Castillo on Tuesday and then allowing Anthony DeSclafani to throw seven scoreless innings against them on Wednesday.

Sanchez could have a big game on Friday when the Nationals host the Marlins.

Sanchez is coming off a stellar performance, going into the ninth inning bidding for a shutout against the Chicago Cubs. Sanchez also had two hits in that game, which is the first time he's done that since 2006.

"I'm not a good hitter," admitted Sanchez, who is batting .093 this season. "But if I can do something to help the team, that's good."

Mostly, Sanchez -- who pitched for the Marlins from 2006 to 2012 -- has been helping Washington with his right arm. In his past 16 starts, he is 8-0 with a 3.13 ERA.

Cubs outfielder Kyle Schwarber said Sanchez's success is based on him moving the ball up and down, in and out.

"And when he was missing," Schwarber said last week, "he was missing off the plate."

Sanchez, a 35-year-old native of Venezuela, made his major league debut with the Marlins in 2006 and was 44-45 with a 3.75 ERA with his original organization until Miami traded him to the Detroit Tigers in July of 2012.

Since then, he has faced the Marlins seven times, including six as a starter, going 2-2 with a 3.00 ERA.

This year, in two starts against the Marlins, Sanchez is 1-1 with a 3.18 ERA. At Marlins Park this year, however, Sanchez is 0-1 with a 5.06 ERA.

Hernandez, meanwhile, is 0-2 with an 8.80 ERA in seven career appearances against the Nationals, including two starts. He has faced Washington just once this year - on July 4 in the nation's capital - lasting just 4 1/3 innings and taking the loss. Hernandez allowed five hits, one walk and three runs in that game, striking out six.

If anything, Hernandez has been more comfortable at home this year (3-2, 4.12 ERA). He is winless on the road (0-3, 6.38 ERA).

Predictably as a right-hander, Hernandez has struggled this year against lefty batters (.990 OPS). Righty hitters have just a .693 OPS against him.

The Nationals, who were idle on Thursday, haven't lost consecutive games since Aug. 9-10. They are 13-3 since those two losses.

Miami will fly to Washington on a high note as Harold Ramirez hit a 12th-inning, walk-off home run to beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 on Thursday night. It was the first time the Marlins defeated the Reds this year, in seven tries.

"I have been working on putting the ball in the air more," Ramirez said following his dramatic homer. "I've been hitting too many ground balls the past few games, and that (worked) today. ... I got that pitch -- that's a homer -- and I've got to enjoy it now."

--Field Level Media