Jonah Bride and Connor Norby each drove in two runs as the visiting Miami Marlins overcame an early three-run deficit in a 6-3 victory over the Washington Nationals on Thursday.
In the opener of a four-game series, Jake Burger collected three hits and Xavier Edwards had two after entering the game in the eighth.
Three relievers did not allow a hit and struck out six over four scoreless innings for the Marlins (55-92), who benefited from three errors by the Nationals (65-81) to snap a three-game skid.
Miami has defeated Washington in two straight games after the latter won the initial eight games in the season series.
Washington’s Jose Tena had a two-run double and Dylan Crews added a run-scoring single during a three-run first to highlight his two-hit performance. Crews added a nifty sliding catch in the gap in right-center field to end the sixth for the Nationals, who have lost three of their last four games.
Edwards led off the eighth with a pinch-hit double off Derek Law (7-4) and Norby walked before Bride singled up the middle to forge a 3-3 tie. Burger singled to load the bases and Otto Lopez grounded into a fielder’s choice that saw both Norby and Bride score on an error.
Norby’s sacrifice fly plated Griffin Conine to cap the scoring in the ninth.
The late uprising made a winner out of Anthony Bender (5-2), who struck out the lone batter he faced to end the seventh. Jesus Tinoco retired the side in order in both the eighth and ninth to secure his first save of the season.
Law yielded three runs (two earned) on three hits to absorb the loss.
Washington got off to a fast start as CJ Abrams led off the first with a double, stole third and scored on Crews’ line-drive infield single. James Wood worked a walk off Darren McCaughan and Tena plated both runners with a double to left field.
Miami scratched for two runs in the third. Nick Fortes was hit by a pitch from Mitchell Parker and advanced to third following a throwing error by shortstop Abrams. Fortes scored on a groundout and Javier Sanoja crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Bride.
Marlins starter McCaughan gave up three runs on six hits in five innings, while Nationals starter Parker allowed two unearned runs on three hits over 6 1/3 innings.
–Field Level Media
