, and that was all Miami needed to take the opener of a five-game series. Rojas hadn't played since July 26, when the Marlins' season was suspended amid a team-wide coronavirus outbreak.''It's an unbelievable feeling, and I'm glad I got a good pitch to hit in my first at-bat and hit a homer to put us ahead,'' Rojas said.The 31-year-old Rojas was activated Thursday - when Miami's game against New York was postponed after the Mets had two team members test positive. He was the first of the 17 Miami players sidelined by COVID-19 to return.''I felt a roller coaster of emotions because I've been watching the games on TV and cheering on the boys on Twitter and trying to be as connected as I can,'' Rojas said. ''But it's never the same feeling as when you're playing the game with the guys on the field.'' The homer was Rojas' second in four games this season.''That pitch that was a homer was a heater,'' Corbin said. ''Fell behind 2-0 and it was right down the middle. Just a mistake there.'' Marlins starter Elieser Hernandez (1-0) pitched five solid innings, allowing just two runs and three hits while striking out six. The Nationals had just four hits in the game.The Nationals got solo homers from Yan Gomes - his first of the season in the second - and Trea Turner's fifth blast of the season in the third. For Gomes, who joined the Nationals last season, it was his 100th career home run.Corbin allowed three runs and eight hits and struck out nine in 6 1/3 innings.Brandon Kintzler pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his fourth save.POSSIBLE SURGERY2019 World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg was diagnosed with carpal tunnel neuritis on his throwing hand after seeing a nerve specialist on Thursday. Manager Dave Martinez says that surgery is an option for the Nationals star although a decision has yet to be made.ROLE REVERSALManager Don Mattingly spoke afterward about the difference in pitching with a lead after that early Rojas homer.''It was good to see,'' Mattingly said. ''We've had our struggles and again we've been trying to pitch from behind, we're always chasing, trying to keep the game close. And, you know, it's always better, when we get a little bit of a lead.'' BIG LEAGUE DEBUTTop prospect Jesus Sanchez made his debut in right field and batted eighth in the Marlins lineup. Mattingly said the 22-year old brings power, but he struggled in his first appearance, going 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.TRAINER'S ROOMMarlins: Catcher Jorge Alfaro became the second Miami player to return to the active roster after having COVID-19. Alfaro was in the lineup as the designated hitter and went 1 for 4. ... LHP Richard Bleier (triceps strain) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list, and utility infielder Eddy Alvarez was placed on the paternity list.Nationals: INF Howie Kendrick was out of the lineup for the sixth straight game. Martinez said Kendrick was about 75-to-80% and hopes he's available to pinch hit this series. ... 2B Starlin Castro had surgery Friday on his broken right wrist. ... LHP Sean Doolittle (right knee fatigue) thew a 24-pitch sim game Friday and will be reevaluated soon.UP NEXTThe Marlins have yet to announce either of their starters for Saturday's doubleheader. Martinez said Max Scherzer (2-1, 3.71 ERA) will pitch in the opener while the second starter is TBD.---More baseball: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
Marlins on 5-game skid heading into Nationals seriesThe Washington Nationals, who have alternated losses and wins in each of their past six contests, will open a five-game series against the visiting Miami Marlins on Friday night.Miami enters the series having lost five straight games and eight of its past 10. Miami's scheduled game on Thursday night against the New York Mets was postponed. Fox Sports Florida reported that a Mets player and a staffer tested positive for COVID-19, causing the postponement.On Friday, Washington will start left-hander Patrick Corbin (2-1, 3.91 ERA). Right-hander Elieser Hernandez (0-0, 1.84) was originally scheduled to start for Miami but rookie Daniel Castano (0-1, 4.35), who has just two major league starts, may get the nod instead since he did not make his scheduled start against the Mets.Against the Marlins last year, Corbin was 3-0 with a 1.55 ERA in four starts. He held Miami hitters to a .165 batting average with 29 strikeouts and just five walks. For his career, he's 4-1 with a 3.27 ERA in 10 starts against the Marlins.Corbin, a two-time All-Star (2013 and 2018), became a World Series champ in 2019 World Series champ as perhaps the best No. 3 starter in baseball, behind Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg.Hernandez started twice against the Nationals last year, going 0-1 with a 6.10 ERA, and he's 0-2 with an 8.02 ERA in eight career appearances (three starts) against Washington.This year, however, Hernandez has struck out 19 batters in just 14 2/3 innings. His slider has helped make Hernandez perhaps the biggest surprise on the team. Hernandez, 25, broke into the majors in 2018 and had an ERA higher than 5.00 that year and again in 2019.He's been much better this year, obviously, but he has yet to show he can go deep into a game, failing to go past 5 1/3 innings or 82 pitches in any of his three starts. His career-long outing is six innings, a milestone he reached five times last year.Corbin has gone at least six innings in two of his four starts in 2020. Both of those were quality starts for Corbin, who is 27-15 since the start of the 2018 season.Pitching will be vital for the Nationals because they have 21 games in the next 19 days with no open date until Sept. 9.Offensively, Washington DH Howie Kendrick could return to action on Friday. Kendrick, who hasn't played since injuring his hamstring last Friday, is hitting .300 with one homer and six RBIs."He's getting close, but I don't want him to reinjure himself and miss three or four weeks," said Nationals manager Dave Martinez of Kendrick, who hit .344 with 17 homers and 62 RBIs last year. "It's frustrating. We love when he's in the lineup. But I'm going to take care of him and get him right." Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle, who had 29 saves last year and has 78 in the past three years, has been out with a knee injury and is day to day.For the Marlins, they are expected to have Miguel Rojas back off the COVID-19 list. He is one of 18 players who tested positive last month."Every one of them is on a different timetable," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said of Rojas, who is batting .700 in just three games.--Field Level Media
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