baseball

Washington Nationals On Win Streak, Down Marlins to Open Series

•Yahoo Sports

Foster Griffin dazzled for the Washington Nationals after setting a new season-high with nine strikeouts in a 3-2 win over the Miami Marlins

The Washington Nationals did all their damage in the first inning, and it was just enough to take down the Miami Marlins on the road after taking game one, 3-2, on Friday night. Now on a three game win streak, the Nationals move one game under . 500 with the win along with 13-7 away from Nationals Park to secure one of the best road records in baseball.

This marks the first time the Nationals have won three consecutive games since sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers on the road in mid-April. The Nationals got the offense going early after Curtis Mead reached base on a double before CJ Abrams brought him home on an RBI single, yet it would be Jacob Young who created early separation after blasting a 403 foot home run over the left field wall, putting Washington ahead, 3-0, through the first frame. Yet after not allowing an earned runs in 14 consecutive innings, the Marlins broke Foster Griffin's streak in the bottom of the inning after giving up a leadoff home run.

Griffin allowed the next batter to reach based on a double into left field before a throwing error by Mead drove in the Marlins' second run, cutting the lead to 3-2. The two runs marked the first runs allowed by Griffin in the opening frame all season. Griffin would go the rest of the night with a near-clean outing after allowing just the one earned run, along with four hits and setting a new season high with nine strikeouts in seven innings, becoming just the second Nationals starter to reach that mark this season.

What a night for #Nationals starter Foster Griffin: • 7 IP • 4 hits allowed • 1 earned run • 9 Ks • 2. 12 ERA pic. twitter.