Miami Marlins use big 11th inning to beat Washington Nationals for second consecutive win
At this point, with the way their second half has gone and with where they stand in the playoff race with a month left in the season, the Miami Marlins will take a win any way they can get one.
Friday’s frantic finish is the latest such effort.
The Marlins beat the Washington Nationals 8-5 in 11 innings at Nationals Park, with Miami’s offense coming alive late after an early start flamed out in the middle innings.
“A really good win,” said Marlins manager Skip Schumaker. “Hearing those guys clap it up in there [after the game], it could be the other way. Those extra inning games, you never know.”
After both teams exchanged runs in the 10th, Miami (68-67) scored four runs on four hits in the decisive 11th inning.
Jake Burger started the frame as the team’s automatic runner at second base before Miami’s first three batters — Jazz Chisholm Jr., Bryan De La Cruz and pinch-hitter Jon Berti — all hit singles against former Marlins reliever Robert Garcia to score two runs and give Miami a 6-4 lead, although De La Cruz was out trying to go from first to third on Berti’s single.
That chased Garcia and brought in Mason Thompson, who promptly gave up a two-run home run to Garrett Hampson to cap scoring.
Friday marked the second time this season Miami has scored four runs in an extra inning (also on May 27 at the Los Angeles Angels).
“Extra innings is tough,” Hampson said. “As the road team, you feel like you kind of need to put together least two to feel good. If you get one, they’re expected to get one [because of the automatic runner in scoring position] like what happened in the 10th. To come out in the 11th, the guys before me had great at-bats as well. It was just awesome to be able to add to that.”
Miami scored its first three runs in the first three innings on a Chisholm RBI single in the first, a Burger sacrifice fly in the third and a Chisholm RBI fielder’s choice in the third. After that, the Nationals (62-74) held Miami to just five baserunners the next six innings.
A mixed bag for Eury Perez
Right-handed pitcher Eury Perez, the Marlins’ 20-year-old rookie phenom, held the Nationals to just three runs — all on solo home runs — and struck out five but only pitched 4 2/3 innings on Friday.
With the Marlins monitoring his pitch and inning counts this season, a 27-pitch first inning that featured a solo home run, two walks after getting ahead in the count 0-2 and three strikeouts handcuffed Perez’s ability to pitch deep into the game. He ended the night with 86 pitches (50 strikes) and worked around two hits and three walks beyond the home runs.
The three home runs came on a hanging curveball to CJ Abrams in the first inning (the first home run Perez has allowed this year on the pitch) and a pair of four-seam fastballs to Lane Thomas and Travis Blankenhorn in the third inning.
“It was difficult,” Perez said of his outing. “Some of the pitches were not doing what I was trying to command them to do. I have to continue working on that.”
Steven Okert (1/3 inning), David Robertson (one inning), George Soriano (two innings) and Bryan Hoeing (one inning) combined for 4 1/3 shutout innings to get the game to extra innings.
The Marlins and Nationals each traded a run in the 10th, with Miami scoring against Kyle Finnegan and Washington against Tanner Scott.
Scott went back out for the 11th after the offense scored four runs and held Washington to just one more unearned run to seal the win.
“It would have been nicer to end it in that 10th,” Scott said, “but it is what it is. We won.”
Still no Jorge Soler, Andrew Nardi
Designated hitter/outfielder Jorge Soler sat for a third consecutive game while dealing with right hip tightness.
Soler leads the Marlins with 35 home runs, 71 RBI and 70 runs scored in 125 games played.
Also down on Friday: Left-handed pitcher Andrew Nardi, who hasn’t pitched since a comebacker grazed his throwing hand on Wednesday.
