The Miami Marlins and the Washington Nationals will kick off a three-game series at 7:10 p.m. ET at LoanDepot park. The Marlins have been away from home for six games now, but on Friday they’ll finally make their return. Neither of those teams managed to put together many runs in their previous contests, so the offenses might be a little more motivated than usual.

The Marlins are headed into Friday’s game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Wednesday, falling 4-1 to the Phillies. Give some credit to the fans of both those teams: The home team has now come away the winner the last six times they’ve met.

Javier Sanoja made the most of his time in the batter’s box despite the final result and went a perfect 3-for-3 while posting one home run. He has been locked in at the plate lately, hitting .362 over his last 15 games vs. .264 in his previous 87 games.

Meanwhile, Thursday was a slow day for the Nationals as the team failed to score. They fell just short of the Rangers by a score of 2-0. Andrew Alvarez was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: He pitched five innings while giving up just one earned run on four hits.

Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, the Nationals didn’t exactly tear the cover off the ball and finished the game with only one hit. That marked a season-low in hits for them.

Miami has now lost seven of its last nine games on the road. That’s taken a bite out of the Marlins’ 64-64 record this season. As for Washington, the Nats have now lost 12 of their last 14 games on the road, dropping them to a 61-68 record this season.

Miami was able to grind out a solid victory over Washington in the meeting on June 3, winning 4-1. Will the Marlins repeat their success, or do the Nationals have a better game plan this time around? We’ll find out soon enough.

How to Watch Washington Nationals at Miami Marlins

• Date: Aug. 21, 2026
• Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
• Venue: LoanDepot park
• TV: Marlins.TV
• Streaming: Stream on Fubo
• Buy tickets: Buy Nationals at Marlins tickets on Ticketmaster

Probable Starting Pitcher Analysis

Ryan Gusto (MIA)

2026 Season Stats: 0-3 | 4.70 ERA | 1.32 WHIP | 8.2 K/9

• No decision in last start on Aug. 15 @ CIN- 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 6 H
• 0-1, 14.2 IP, 5 ER, 14 H in last three starts; 0-2, 5.31 ERA in prior 13 games
• 2.3 walks per nine innings this season; 3.2 last season
• Last start vs WSH (with HOU) (July 30, 2025, home): (W) 6 IP, 1 ER, 4 H

Brad Lord (WSH)

2026 Season Stats: 5-2 | 4.04 ERA | 1.25 WHIP | 8.2 K/9

• No decision in last start on Aug. 15 @ NYM- 0.2 IP, 2 ER, 1 H
  • 4 walks allowed – most since Sept. 6, 2025
• 12.7 hits allowed per nine innings in last seven appearances; 6.5 hits allowed per nine innings in prior 23 games
• High run support: 7.0 per game this season

Washington Nationals vs. Miami Marlins Betting Odds

• Moneyline: WSH +126 / MIA -151
• Run line: MIA -1.5
• Over/Under: 8.5

Betting lines as of 08/21/2026 at 8:27 AM ET. Odds subject to change. Bet with bet365.

Washington Nationals Stat Check: Who’s Hot, Who’s Not

Who’s Hot

No players currently match our analysis around current trends.

Who’s Not

• Daylen Lile (WSH): 0 extra-base hits in 11 straight games
  • Previous Game: 0-4, 4 K
• Abimelec Ortiz (WSH) Previous Game: 0-3, 2 K
  • 1-10 in last three games; .300/.317/.700 in prior 14 games
• Nasim Nuñez (WSH) Previous Game: 0-3
  • .106/.189/.106 since Jul. 28; .250/.333/.293 in prior 93 games

Miami Marlins Stat Check: Who’s Hot, Who’s Not

Who’s Hot

• Xavier Edwards (MIA): 2+ times on base in five straight games

Who’s Not

• Esteury Ruiz (MIA) Previous Game: 0-4, 2 K
  • .150/.227/.150 in last seven games; .266/.387/.500 in prior 61 games
• Jakob Marsee (MIA) Previous Game: 0-4
  • 0-12 in last four games; .212/.326/.320 in prior 116 games
• Owen Caissie (MIA) Previous Game: 0-4
  • 1-12 in last four games; .229/.290/.437 in prior 88 games

Last 10 Games for Washington Nationals (3-7)

• Aug. 20: L @ TEXAS 0-2
• Aug. 19: W @ TEXAS 6-0
• Aug. 18: L @ TEXAS 0-5
• Aug. 16: L @ NYM 3-4
• Aug. 15: L @ NYM 4-5
• Aug. 14: L @ NYM 1-4
• Aug. 13: W vs. CHC 7-0
• Aug. 12: L vs. CHC 6-12
• Aug. 11: L vs. CHC 6-8
• Aug. 9: W vs. CIN 7-1

Last 10 Games for Miami Marlins (5-5)

• Aug. 19: L @ PHI 1-4
• Aug. 18: L @ PHI 4-6
• Aug. 17: L @ PHI 5-6
• Aug. 16: W @ CIN 7-1
• Aug. 15: W @ CIN 8-4
• Aug. 14: L @ CIN 0-1
• Aug. 13: L vs. PIT 1-13
• Aug. 12: W vs. PIT 8-2
• Aug. 11: W vs. PIT 2-0
• Aug. 9: W vs. LAA 12-3

Final Score Prediction for Washington Nationals @ Miami Marlins on Aug. 21, 2026

Nationals 5 – Marlins 6

Lean: Marlins

Give us the Nationals on the run line and the Marlins on the moneyline on the back of what Xavier Edwards has been doing at the plate.

Disclosure: Some or all of this content may have been generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, AI can occasionally produce incorrect information. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.