Preview: Edinson Volquez tries to continue stellar June vs. Nationals
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MIAMI -- Their fingers are crossed.
Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon, who is often a pain in the neck to opposing pitchers, is now dealing with that same ailment -- literally, not figuratively.
Nationals manager Dusty Baker said he thinks Rendon "will be OK" on Tuesday night, when Washington takes on the host Miami Marlins in a battle between National League East rivals.
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But despite that optimistic statement, the Nationals were quite frightened when the injury was sustained. Rendon felt the neck pain when he dove to his left to grab a hard grounder struck by Giancarlo Stanton.
"He's never had that before," Baker said of Rendon's neck injury. "It scared him … scared us … when you have that pain in your neck."
After losing Monday's game 8-7 to a feisty Miami team that rallied from an early six-run deficit, the Nationals are hoping to have Rendon, who hit his 13th homer of the season earlier in the game.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Just a little jolt in my neck, a little whiplash maybe," Rendon told the media on Monday night. "My neck didn't feel too good the next two innings.
"But it's nothing too serious. We're just trying to be a little cautious."
Few would blame the Nationals for taking that approach as Washington leads the second-place Atlanta Braves by 9 1/2 games.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Nationals, who have lost two of their past three series, will send left-hander Gio Gonzalez (6-1, 2.89 ERA) to the mound on Tuesday night.
Miami, which has lost three of its past four series, is set to use right-hander Edinson Volquez (3-7, 3.72 ERA), who threw a no-hitter earlier this season and has won three straight decisions.
Gonzalez, a native of Miami Dade County, is 1-2 with a 4.24 ERA in four career starts at Marlins Park. In his past three starts against the Marlins, he has been very good, sporting an 0.55 ERA.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Volquez has made eight career starts against the Nationals and is 2-3 with a 3.77 ERA. He held the Nationals scoreless in five innings the first time he faced them this season, back in April.
In four previous stats, Volquez is 3-0 with a 1.73 ERA.
Gonzalez held Miami scoreless for six innings earlier this year, and he is 6-3 with a 2.03 ERA in 12 career starts against the Marlins.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Meanwhile, the Marlins' offense, which came back from a six-run deficit to beat the Nationals on Monday, is looking forward to beating the Nationals.
"We're getting a lot of really good at-bats. We were able to come back because there's a really good feeling for those guys," Miami manager Don Mattingly said.