WASHINGTON -- A pair of injuries led to unceremonious endings for two Nationals players during their rain-shortened 9-3 victory in Wednesday's home finale against the Marlins. A stiff back led to Ryan Zimmerman being removed in the third inning, and a blister ended Kyle McGowin's first career Major League start after four scoreless innings.
Nats manager Dave Martinez said he was being precautious with Zimmerman and expects him to return to the lineup Friday against the Rockies. But McGowin's injury ended what had been a strong first start.
McGowin retired the first 11 batters he faced before Derek Dietrich hit a two-out single in the fourth inning to break up his perfect game. He finished with four scoreless innings, striking out four and walking three. When McGowin issued back-to-back walks to start the fifth, Martinez and Paul Lessard, the team's head athletic trainer, went to the mound to check on him and removed him from the game.
"The blister started acting up on me, so unfortunately I couldn't finish it like I wanted to," McGowin said. "But I battled through it and gave the team as much as I could.
"The butterflies are out of it now. Get to work in the offseason. I know what I'm capable of now. I know I can pitch here and succeed. I'll just work off that."
McGowin started the game after Tanner Roark was scratched in order to be with his family at his home near Atlanta. Martinez revealed after the game that Roark would not join the Nats in Colorado this weekend to remain home, ending his 2018 season.
In 31 games (30 starts) during this up-and-down season for Roark, he went 9-15 with a 4.34 ERA.