The Miami Marlins scored the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning when the Washington Nationals failed to turn a double play and went on to a 6-4 victory to complete a four-game series sweep Sunday afternoon.
On Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s grounder, an errant throw to first by shortstop CJ Abrams allowed Miami to take the lead. Bryan De La Cruz then added a run-scoring single.
Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara (7-12) worked eight innings for the victory. Tanner Scott worked the ninth for his fourth save, escaping after the Nationals had two runners on base with one out.
Luis Arraez opened the game with a home run, and the Marlins (70-67) extended the lead to 3-0 later in the inning, but let it get away.
Lane Thomas homered in the bottom of the first for Washington’s first run and hit a go-ahead single in a three-run fifth inning for the Nationals (62-76), who have a five-game losing streak. He was 3-for-5.
Kyle Finnegan (6-4) took the loss in relief.
Josh Bell and Jesus Sanchez joined Arraez with two hits for Miami, which won despite stranding eight runners and committed three errors. The Marlins are three games behind the Chicago Cubs in a five-team scramble for the National League’s last two wild-card berths.
Washington starter Josiah Gray walked three in the first inning, but he didn’t give up another run after the first inning and completed four innings.
Arraez homered on the game’s fifth pitch. The Marlins were up 3-0 after bases-loaded walks to Sanchez and Jon Berti.
Thomas has homered in three consecutive games and has 23 this season. This follows a 21-game string without one.
The Nationals drew even in the fifth on Dominic Smith’s run-scoring double and Jacob Young’s RBI single, before Thomas’ two-out single gave Washington the lead for the first time.
The Marlins tied it right away when Joey Wendle’s grounder produced a run in the sixth inning.
–Field Level Media
