The grind of a Major League Baseball season will take its toll on even the hottest hitter. In the midst of his first All-Star campaign, Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman finally cooled as the weather warmed in early summer.
But his offensive swagger is back with a vengeance now – and he’s carrying Washington along with him.
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Zimmerman hit his eighth home run in 13 games and later added an RBI triple during a four-run eighth inning. The Nats again overcame a large deficit to the Florida Marlins, erasing a 6-0 lead en route to a 12-8 victory at Nationals Park on Thursday afternoon.
“It was early in the game and you can’t get all six at one time,” Zimmerman said. “You’ve just got to chip away and when you get chances take advantage of them.”
Zimmerman batted 4-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored. Outfielder Elijah Dukes continues to hit the ball hard since his recall from Triple-A Syracuse last weekend. He produced a 3-for-4 afternoon with a homer and four RBI. Dukes also scored two runs.
The Nats (37-72) extended their season-best win streak to five in a row. They are now 11-6 over their last 17 games and got a rare chance for revenge over the Marlins, their longtime tormentors who had won 25 of the previous 28 meetings between the two clubs before this series.
Instead, Washington swept Florida (55-53) for the first time since a series at RFK Stadium on Sept. 3, 4 and 5 in 2007. It was not a good time for the Marlins to falter. They are now seven games behind first-place Philadelphia in the N.L. East and tied for second place.
“We’re good up and down the lineup – especially now with [second baseman Ronnie Belliard] getting hot now,” said Dukes. “Once you get that feeling you know you can come back from two, three runs. We’ve been battling and fighting all year.”
Belliard is 7-for-15 with two doubles, a homer and four RBI in his last six games. His RBI hit in the eighth inning scored teammate Cristian Guzman from second base and snapped an 8-8 tie.
Nats Notes
» Washington traded second baseman Anderson Hernandez to the New York Mets on Thursday for minor-league second baseman Greg Veloz, 21.
» Nats starter Craig Stammen had another rough outing. He lasted just 1 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on six hits.
» Washington’s bullpen continues to produce. Six different relievers combined to allow just two runs in 7 1/3 innings, picking up Stammen and giving the offense a chance for the comeback.
