Nationals rookie Mitchell Parker faces Marlins, looks for third straight win

Washington Nationals rookie left-hander Mitchell Parker will try to keep his unexpected success going on Saturday afternoon when he faces the host Miami Marlins.

The Nationals won the series opener 3-1 on Friday.

"Our boys really fought," Washington manager Dave Martinez said after the win. "It was a group effort."

As for Parker (2-0, 1.50 ERA), he took on perhaps the most talented team in the majors in his MLB debut on April 15, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4.

The 24-year-old allowed just two runs in five innings to become the first Nationals starter to win his MLB debut since Stephen Strasburg in 2010.

"Speechless," Parker said after the game.

Parker struck out former MVPs Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani in that contest.

In his second game, Parker was even better, pitching seven scoreless innings in a 6-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday. He allowed three hits, no walks and struck out eight.

Not bad for a pitcher who was ranked just 21st in the Nationals' system to open this season.

Parker was drafted three straight years, in rounds 28 by the Chicago Cubs, 27 by the Tampa Bay Rays and five by Washington out of junior college in 2020.

He put up big strikeout numbers last year due to a live fastball and a dropping curve. In fact, he led Nationals' minor-leaguers last year with 150 strikeouts in 124 innings across Double-A and Triple-A.

This year, he has 12 strikeouts in 12 MLB innings.

"He has good stuff," Martinez said. "And he has so much poise."

Elsewhere, the Nationals could get starting third baseman Nick Senzel back on Saturday. He has missed two straight game due to a stomach illness, but he was available on Friday.

Senzel is needed because the Nationals are just 1-3 in their past four games, scoring a total of seven runs.

On Saturday, the Nationals will face right-hander Edward Cabrera (1-0, 3.27 ERA).

Cabrera is one of five Marlins starting pitchers who have spent time this year on the injured list. That includes stars Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez, both of whom are out for the year. The other two starters are Jesus Luzardo and Braxton Garrett.

Of those five, only Cabrera is healthy, and he has a good history at home, going 10-4 with a 3.43 ERA. On the road, he's 4-10 with a 4.49 ERA.

In four starts against the Nationals, Cabrera is 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA.

Offensively, the Marlins need a spark, and perhaps it could come from corner infielder Jake Burger, who hit 34 homers last season between the Marlins and Chicago White Sox.

Burger, sidelined by an oblique injury, completed a full workout on Friday, but the Marlins likely will wait until next week to activate him from the injured list.

With Burger out, the Marlins are led in OPS by Bryan De La Cruz (.712) and two-time batting champion Luis Arraez (.705).

However, on Friday, the first four batters in Miami's lineup -- Arraez, De La Cruz, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Josh Bell -- went 0-for-14.

The Marlins, who have lost four straight games, have the worst record in the National League (6-21).

"We're not going to quit," Miami manager Skip Schumaker said. "That's not in my DNA."

--Field Level Media