MIAMI -- Barry Bonds was very impressed with Jose Fernandezs performance.Bonds, the Marlins hitting coach, was among those in the dugout congratulating Fernandez at the end of his outing, grabbing him with both hands and kissing him repeatedly on both cheeks.I love you! Bonds shouted as Fernandez grinned.Fernandez pitched eight innings and struck out 12 to help the Miami Marlins to a 1-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night that took just 2 hours, 11 minutes.That goes way back, its a long story, Fernandez said with a smile about his connection with Bonds. Its impressive. Everybody knows who he is and what he has done in this game. When I was walking in here now he told me, `It was the best that I have seen you pitch. Im impressed. To get that from probably one of the best hitters in the history of the game means the world.Fernandez (16-8) allowed three hits without a walk to outduel Washingtons Tanner Roark (15-9) who pitched seven innings and allowed one run.I thought it was the best game he has thrown all year, Marlins manager Don Mattingly said of Fernandez. He used his changeup early in the game and that was a weapon for him all day to keep them off-balanced.Roark went at least seven innings while allowing one run or fewer for the 12th time this season in his battle against Fernandez, who improved to 29-2 in his career at home.I know Jose is good here at home so it was me versus him, not me versus the hitters, Roark said.David Phelps pitched the ninth for the Marlins and recorded his fourth save in 10 chances as Miami won its third straight.In the situation were in what you would really like to do is win every game and force whoever were behind to win every game -- to have to win theirselves in, Mattingly said.The Nationals were held to four hits in their fourth consecutive loss.Bryce Harper returned to the starting lineup for Washington after getting the day off on Monday and went 0 for 4.We had a couple times when Bryce hit the ball a ton, Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. Thats a good sign when he hits the ball on a line like that. Its tough to stay with him and stuff but hes right there, right around the corner. Hes frustrated, were all frustrated especially when youre not scoring runs.Stantons 27th home run broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth inning. Stanton also homered in Mondays 4-3 win.It was just a good swing, good contact-type ball, Stanton said. It wasnt like a hard drive or anything. Just a good bat path to a ball out over the plate.Stephen Drew smacked a double off the top of the right field fence over Stantons head in the first inning before Fernandez retired the next 21 batters.Wilson Ramos broke through in the top of the eighth with a soft liner to center and Brian Goodwin followed with a single to right.Fernandez struck out Danny Espinosa and got pinch-hitter Daniel Murphy to ground out to get out of the jam and cap his outing.He was good, he was feeling it, Stanton said. He knows how important each and every game is and he wanted to make sure he put it away today.TRAINERS ROOMNationals: Baker denied a report about Harper dealing with a shoulder injury. The story was inaccurate, Baker said. They asked me about the shoulder problem before and I said we gave him four or five days off. I dont even know how long ago that was, six weeks ago or something like that? And to say hes playing shallow because he couldnt throw the ball is totally inaccurate. I dont know where they got that from. I know they got some quotes from me, but I was talking about the past. I wasnt talking about the present. I dont know how it came out because I dont read much, but that was inaccurate reporting. Nobody knows where it came from because hes not on the injury report and we treated that already in the past. ... 2B Murphy (left leg soreness) was held out of the starting lineup for the third consecutive game.Marlins: RHP Bryan Morris (lumbar disc herniation) was reinstated from the 60-day DL and was designated for assignment.UP NEXTNationals: RHP Max Scherzer (17-7, 2.78 ERA) will start Wednesdays series finale with the Marlins. Scherzer is 4-0 with a 1.47 ERA in his last five starts.Marlins: RHP Tom Koehler (9-11, 3.96) takes the mound looking for his first win since Aug. 9 against San Francisco. Custom Walt Frazier Jersey . - Connor McDavid scored 53 seconds into overtime as the Erie Otters came from behind to defeat the visiting Guelph Storm 4-3 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Custom Knicks Jerseys . Thousands of fans at Mosaic Stadium will be cozying up to each other in an effort to stay warm in chilly temperatures and block the Prairie wind that locals say can knock your socks off. http://www.customknicksjersey.com/custom-john-starks-jersey-large-79w.html . Defenceman Yannick Weber scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and the Canucks breathed a sigh of relief with a 2-1 win on Saturday night. Patrick Ewing Jersey Large . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars. Custom Allan Houston Jersey . -- On the field, it was business as usual for Jameis Winston and No. STANFORD, Calif. -- When you made your professional debut five years before one of your opponents at this weeks Bank of the West Classic was born, talk of retirement is bound to come up. For Venus Williams, the subject has been volleyed around fan sites and even mentioned by the on-court interviewer after her first match of the tournament.I get to live my dream every single day, the 36-year-old Williams responded on the court at Stanford University. Im not going to quit anytime soon.With a month like this one, why would she? After reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon -- her first Grand Slam semifinal since the 2010 U.S. Open -- Williams advanced to the final of the Bank of the West Classic, ensuring her best WTA ranking (No. 6) in five years despite Sundays 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 loss to Great Britains Johanna Konta.Williams was going for her 50th WTA title at the same event where she won her first professional match 22 years ago, a straight sets victory over former NCAA champion Shaun Stafford.I have no idea how I won the match [against Stafford], Williams said this week. I had no strategy and zero understanding on how to win a match.At her debut in 1994, Williams hadnt played a competitive game in more than three years. Father/coach Richard Williams had kept her out of the junior circuit, thinking that practicing with better opponents was more useful than dominating her peers.But Williams second pro match against world No. 2 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario showed how important veteran savvy and experience could be. After Williams went up 6-1, 3-3, Sanchez Vicario took a long bathroom break and then didnt lose another game.It was a pretty good strategy against a youngin, Williams said. But after a while, I got the hang of it.Now its her opponents who are the novices, including 17-year-old American CiCi Bellis, her quarterfinal opponent this week.Williams has gone on to win seven Grand Slam singles titles and is about to compette in her fifth Olympics.ddddddddddddAnd she has seemed even more energized recently. When the Rio Games came up in an interview, Williams mentioned playing again in 2020. When she was asked if she was disappointed she couldnt win No. 50 here, Williams responded that shell have more chances.Im pretty much the most mature on tour, Williams said. There arent a lot of people older than me, but I take it as a compliment because I love being out here.Williams certainly showed signs of her age -- uh, maturity -- on Sunday, conserving energy by not going after some reachable shots. On a day that her sister Serena pulled out of the upcoming WTA event in Montreal with an inflamed shoulder, no one needed a reminder about the sports physical demands.Venus received some breaks during the week. Before the final, none of her matches started before 7 p.m. and her highest-ranked opponent was 78th-ranked American Alison Riske. But she also showed her fight. Down a set and two breaks at 1-4 in the second set and playing her third match in three days, Williams won 8 of 11 points on Kontas next two service games to delay Kontas first-ever WTA title.Five years after being diagnosed with Sjogrens Syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that causes fatigue, Williams has no plans of slowing down. If anything, Venus is loading up -- shes heading from Stanford to Montreal to play in the next tournament on the WTA schedule, and then shell play singles and doubles (with Serena) at the Olympics. In the prior two Olympic cycles, Williams took a break between Wimbledon and the Games.Speaking to the crowd at Stanford after Sundays final, Williams said she hopes to see them again next year.It proves you dont have to go until youre good and ready, Williams said. When Im good and ready, Ill be gone, but now is not the time. ' ' '