If the Miami Marlins could face the Washington Nationals every game this season they would be a bonafide World Series contender — then again, so would a lot of mediocre teams.
With a four-game sweep of the Nationals this weekend, the Marlins moved to a dominant 12-1 against their division foes on the year, as their pitching silenced the Nats’ bats all series.
Miami even did so without their National League Cy Young candidate, Sandy Alcantara, starting a game.
Nothing epitomizes that more than in the final two games of the series when Pablo López, who had been struggling mightily coming into the series, took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, then Braxton Garrett retired 14 straight batters during the series finale.