Bryan De La Cruz hit a tiebreaking two-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning as the visiting Miami Marlins beat the Washington Nationals 3-2 Monday afternoon to complete a four-game sweep.
The Marlins beat the Nationals for the 12th time in 13 meetings and won for the second straight time in extra innings when De La Cruz connected off Tanner Rainey (1-3).
Rainey opened the 10th by striking out Jesus Aguilar and Brian Anderson. De La Cruz then unloaded on a 98-mph fastball to left field that caromed off the foul pole and traveled 411 feet. His fifth homer of the season scored ghost runner Miguel Rojas to give the Marlins a 3-1 lead.
Jimmy Yacabonis (1-1) pitched the ninth to earn the win. Dylan Floro pitched an eventful 10th before notching his second save.
Nationals automatic runner Maikel Franco scored from third on a double-play groundout. Following a single by Keibert Ruiz, Floro retired Cesar Hernandez on a groundout to end it.
Aguilar hit an RBI single in the third for a 1-0 Marlins lead.
Washington tied the game in the eighth on a single by Luis Garcia after being unable to do much against Miami starter Braxton Garrett for most of the day.
Opponents entered the game hitting .330 against Garrett this season but he commanded the strike zone and dominated, allowing one run on four hits in a career-high 7 1/3 innings. Garrett struck out four, walked one, threw first-pitch strikes to 19 of 25 hitters and got 12 outs on the ground.
Washington starter Patrick Corbin allowed one run and eight hits in seven innings. Corbin struck out four, walked one and frequently escaped trouble.
Garrett retired 14 straight until issuing a one-out walk to Ehire Adrianza in the eighth. After Adrianza stole second, Garcia lined a single to right to tie the game and chase Garrett.
Zach Pop allowed a single to Ruiz and walked pinch hitter Juan Soto on four pitches to load the bases, but ended the inning when Josh Bell popped up on a 3-1 pitch.
Soto came on as a pinch hitter after leaving Sunday’s game early with a left calf injury; he said before Monday’s contest that he avoided a major scare and would miss “a couple days.”
–Field Level Media
