Hurricane on players' minds as series concludes (Nats win 8-1)

MIAMI - They're playing a ballgame tonight at Marlins Park, but there aren't many fans here, even fewer than the typical sparse gathering. Which is understandable, given the way most everyone's mind is preoccupied with the fast-approaching Hurricane Irma and making preparations now either to board up homes or get out of town.

Those in uniform are understandably paying close attention, as well, diverting at least some of their focus from the game. Several Nationals players are from or live in Florida, including Trea Turner, Michael A. Taylor, Gio Gonzalez, A.J. Cole, Daniel Murphy, Adam Lind and Ryan Raburn. And then there are Houston natives Anthony Rendon and Matt Albers, still devoting time and resources to helping their families recover from Hurricane Harvey.

It's hard not to notice all this weighing on players' minds.

"Yeah, I can tell it was weighing on, especially Anthony and Albers when we were in Houston," manager Dusty Baker said. "Yeah, I can tell, especially guys that are from here and live around here, namely Trea (who is from Lake Worth, Fla., south of Palm Beach). And people I know here, they didn't come to the game. They were boarding up windows and hurricane-proofing - if there is such a thing - their homes and condos."

Both the Nationals (who open a homestand Thursday against the Phillies) and Marlins (who open a road trip in Atlanta) are flying out of town after tonight's game, well in advance of the storm.

The players and staffers who had been at the Nationals' spring training complex in West Palm Beach headed home following today's finale of the Rookie-Level Gulf Coast League championship series (the Nats lost to the Yankees 5-4 in Game 3).

The Marlins are making plans to prepare their domed stadium, which was built to withstand a Category 4 hurricane. According to the Sun-Sentinel, they actually will leave a couple of small portions of the roof open during the storm, allowing for air to flow in and out and help keep pressure from building.

Many local residents have or will be evacuating. Others will be hunkering down and hoping for the best.

"I can tell by the reaction of the people that have been here a long time, this is more serious than ever," Baker said. "Cause sometimes people are like, 'OK, it's not going to hit us.' But this time, it appears very, very serious. I can tell from the attitude of the people that have been through it before."

Update: The Nationals hold a 3-0 lead through five innings here tonight, and it probably could be larger than that. They actually ran themselves into three outs in the first two innings, with Rendon getting caught in a rundown, Taylor getting caught trying to steal third and Jose Lobaton getting caught straying too far off second. No worries, because Ryan Zimmerman is having himself a night. He singled home a run in the first, scored all the way from first moments later on Howie Kendrick's double and then launched a home run off the second deck in right-center in the fourth. That's Zimmerman's 31st homer of the year, and it was one of the most impressive of the bunch.

Gonzalez, meanwhile, is doing his usual thing. Which is, pitching out of jams. He loaded the bases with nobody out in the fourth but escaped it. Then he had two on with one out in the fifth but got Giancarlo Stanton to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. Opponents are now batting an impossibly low .137 with runners in scoring position against Gonzalez this season.

Update II: Make it 6-0 Nats after they scored three in the top of the sixth off Vance Worley, despite only two hits. Jayson Werth drove in one run with a sacrifice fly to the warning track in left-center. Then after Taylor was intentionally walked to load the bases, Worley walked Lobaton to drive in another run (Lobaton's first RBI since July 27). Adam Lind, pinch-hitting for Gonzalez, then beat out a double-play grounder to bring home another run and make it 6-0.

Update III: Make it 7-0 on Taylor's blast over the Clevelander bar in left field. The Nats also have been getting lights-out relief tonight from Joe Blanton, Shawn Kelley and Enny Romero, helping keep the shutout in play heading to the ninth.

Update IV: That'll do it. Nats win 8-1 and complete their second sweep of the Marlins in the last 10 days. As such, they have lowered their magic number to six and now are in prime position to clinch the division title during their upcoming homestand. They'll host the Phillies for four games starting Thursday night, then the Braves for three starting Tuesday, then the Dodgers for three next weekend.