Nationals 0 - 7 Marlins
Final
  for this game

Fernandez flirts with no-no, Marlins shut out Nationals

Sep 7, 2013 - 5:47 AM Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Jose Fernandez's gaudy home numbers have already put him in exclusive company.

He almost joined another elite club on Friday.

Fernandez fired seven shutout innings of one-hit ball in the Miami Marlins' 7-0 triumph over the Washington Nationals in the opener of a three-game set.

Fernandez (11-6) lost his no-hitter with one out in the sixth when pinch- hitter Zach Walters cued a roller down the third-base line. The third baseman Placido Polanco tried the let the ball roll foul, but it stayed fair.

It was Walters' first career hit.

"I think I learned a lot of things, that was the first time that came through my mind actually that I had a chance to throw a perfect game or a no-hitter," said Fernandez.

One of the NL Rookie of the Year frontrunners, Fernandez, who moved to 8-0 with a minuscule 1.19 ERA at Marlins Park this season, fanned nine and walked just two for Miami, which has won four of its last five tilts.

The 21-year-old Cuban flamethrower is the 14th pitcher since 1916 with at least 13 home starts to tally seven wins without a loss. Of those 14 hurlers, Fernandez's ERA is second to Orel Hershiser's 1.08 mark at Dodger Stadium in 1985.

Fernandez also smacked two hits, Giancarlo Stanton added a solo homer and three RBI and Logan Morrison cracked a two-run shot in the victory.

Dan Haren (8-13) allowed five runs on six hits and two walks over three innings for the Nationals, who had won three of their lest four games coming in.

"Two months of being great and then two starts in a row where I can't get out of the fourth inning," said Haren. "I have no explanation for it, I feel terrible about it from a team stand point."

The Marlins jumped out to a 7-0 lead after plating three runs in the first, two in the third, one in the sixth and another in the eighth.

Stanton slapped a two-run single and Polanco added a sacrifice fly in the opening frame, while Morrison belted a one-out, two-run shot into the second deck in right-center in the third.

Christian Yelich grounded into a double play to push across a run with runners on the corners and none away in the sixth and Stanton crushed a two-out blast off the back wall in left-center in the eighth to give Miami its seven-run cushion.

Game Notes

Anibal Sanchez threw a no-hitter on this day for the Marlins in 2006 ... Fernandez threw 67 of his 94 total pitches for strikes ... Miami was 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position.






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