MIAMI _ Figuring out who the Miami Marlins' All-Star was going to be this season never seemed like it was going to be an easy task. Even when clarity arrived in the form of Caleb Smith's dominant start to the season, it quickly vanished, taken away by a hip injury which has now sidelined the starting pitcher for nearly three weeks. In the next couple weeks, Pablo Lopez went down with an injury, then Jorge Alfaro slumped and joined the two starting pitchers on the injured list. Every time someone started to build a case to be the Marlins' mandatory All-Star, something happened to derail it.
It all led to a chance for Trevor Richards, the 25-year-old starting pitcher who went unselected in the 2013 MLB draft after finishing his career at Division II Drury University. His final audition, however, might have ended another improbable bid. The Washington Nationals pounced on Richards for six runs in five innings to snap Miami's three-game winning streak with a 6-1 win at Marlins Park.
Richards, who entered Tuesday with an ERA of 3.54 while striking out nearly a batter per inning, struck out only three Nationals and gave up seven hits as his ERA spiked all the way up to 3.94. He labored early against Washington's potent lineup, then cracked in both the second and third innings to quickly turn Tuesday into a lopsided loss for the Marlins (30-47) in front of 7,327 in Miami, punctuated by both Miguel Rojas and manager Don Mattingly being ejected in the eighth inning after charging out of the dugout to argue with home plate umpire Mike Estabrook.
It all began smoothly enough for Richards. He set down each of the first two batters on two pitches before serving up a one-out single and issuing a one-out walk. The starter finally escaped, but not until fighting through a 10-pitch at-bat against utilityman Howie Kendrick. The Nationals (38-40) worked Richards' pitch count all the way up to 27 by the end of the first inning.
Richards (3-8) couldn't handle another turn through the heart of Washington's order. Starting pitcher Max Scherzer led off the third with a single and the lineup turned back over to the Nationals' star-laden top half. Outfielder Adam Eaton walked, then Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto each pulled a single into the outfield to give Washington a 2-0 lead. A fielder's choice by Kendrick stretched the lead to 3-0.
Making his second start after breaking his nose while bunting in batting practice, Scherzer (7-5) went eight dominant innings for the Nationals, scattering just five hits along the way. The Cy Young hopeful struck out 10 and gave up only one run in the fourth inning.
By then, the Marlins were already down 6-0. In the top of the fourth, Washington jumped on Richards for three more runs with a homer by Trea Turner, effectively ending both Miami's chance at a fourth straight win and, perhaps, Richards' case as a 2019 All-Star.
