MIAMI — Jonathan Papelbon’s debut with the Washington Nationals was just as they envisioned.
It was perfect, just like his season so far.
Max Scherzer scattered three hits over seven innings, Papelbon got his first save for Washington with a flawless ninth inning and the Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 1-0 on Thursday.
“To be honest, very nervous,” Papelbon said when asked he how felt entering his Washington debut. “I can’t really explain it. You come here to a team and expect to win and expect to do your job. That’s all that’s expected of me. I’m glad it’s out of the way.
Backed by Ryan Zimmerman’s second-inning homer off Dan Haren, Scherzer (11-8) struck out six and lowered his ERA to 2.22.
Former closer Drew Storen pitched a perfect eighth, striking out two in his new setup role.
“I was in the shower with Storen and said to him, ’Can you show me that slider grip?’” Papelbon said. “He was really, really good.”
Acquired Tuesday from Philadelphia, Papelbon retired Ichiro Suzuki on a comebacker, got Christian Yelich to line out and struck out pinch-hitter and former National Michael Morse for his 18th save in 18 chances this season.
Morse, the subject of trade rumors for several days, made his final appearance for the Marlins. He and pitcher Mat Latos were traded later Thursday to the Los Angeles Dodgers for three minor league right-handers.
“It’s been weird,” Morse said postgame. “I don’t think this is usually what happens, these kind of moments and stuff. It’s been a weird year for me and a weird year for this team. So I couldn’t expect anything less.”
Zimmerman led off the second with a homer to left off Haren (7-7), who gave up four hits in six innings and lowered his ERA to 3.42.
Zimmerman, who returned to the lineup this week after missing 49 games with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, had two hits for Washington, as did Michael A. Taylor.
Yelich had two hits for Miami, which dropped two of three to the NL East leaders.
“Scherzer was obviously on his game,” said Haren, also the subject of trade rumors. “He’s a great pitcher. He was just better today.”
The Nationals head to New York to take on the Mets in a weekend series pitting the top two teams in the NL East.
Scherzer — who walked a season-high three, matching the total issued in his last eight starts combined entering Thursday — lost three-ball counts to pinch-hitter Cole Gillespie and Suzuki in the sixth, marking just the second time this season he walked two in the same inning.
That brought Yelich up with one out. Yelich was 2 for 2 to that point, while the rest of the Marlins were 0 for 14, but Scherzer induced an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.
“If you don’t score, you’re not going to win,” Marlins manager Dan Jennings said, after the club endured its 26th game of scoring one run or less. “Plain and simple.”
In other news, right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg (left oblique strain) gave up four hits and three earned runs in four innings Wednesday night when Triple-A Syracuse lost to Buffalo 8-5. Strasburg threw 64 pitches, 44 for strikes. He hasn’t pitched in the majors since July 4.
Left-hander Gio Gonzalez (8-4, 3.83) gets the start Friday night when Washington opens a big weekend series in New York against the Mets and RHP Matt Harvey (9-7, 3.16). Gonzalez is 4-0 with a 1.45 ERA in his last five starts, and 6-1 in his career on the road against the Mets.
The Nationals are 6-4 against the Mets this season. They’ll meet six more times after this weekend. “It’s only August,” Scherzer said. Let’s not try to get ahead and say it’s September 15, when you have to live and die by every pitch.”
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