Marlins rally back vs. Nats for exciting win in 2019 home finale

A feel-good finish to the home portion of the 2019 Marlins schedule, the Fish pushed across four runs in the seventh inning on Sunday to beat the Nationals, 5-3. It snaps an 11-game losing streak in this rivalry.

• Austin Voth: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (81 pitches)
• Pablo López: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 1 K (89 pitches)

The Nats greeted Pablo López rudely, as Trea Turner, Adam Eaton and Anthony Rendon pushed across the first run of the afternoon with back-to-back-to-back singles. The rest of his outing, however, López allowed only three more hits (all of them singles).

The Marlins’ defensive performance behind him was mixed. Magneuris Sierra sprinted to track down a long fly ball in center field, while Isan Díaz is largely at fault for gifting the Nats an extra out in the fourth inning (Washington would extend to lead to 3-1 because of it).

Pablo’s lone strikeout victim was the opposing starter Voth. He generated seven swinging strikes in total, an uncharacteristically low number for him.

Miami’s bats roared in the bottom of the seventh. Austin Dean made it a 3-2 contest with his solo home run against Hunter Strickland; Dean has nine of his 17 extra-base hits this season during the month of September.

Serving as a starting first baseman for the first time in the majors, Dean also impressed on that side of the ball by initiating a double play and stretching for an off-target throw.

Strickland hit Lewis Brinson with a pitch before departing, giving way to Wander Suero, who was equally unsuccessful. Sierra walked to put the potential go-ahead run on base, then became that run when Jon Berti doubled to right field.

That swelled to a 5-3 lead courtesy of Starlin Castro.

Kyle Keller, Jarlin Garcia, Ryne Stanek and Jeff Brigham contributed one scoreless inning apiece. Brigham converted his first career save.

With an announced crowd of 19,709, Marlins Park attendance officially increased from 2018 to 2019...ever so slightly (an extra three fans per game).

The only unfortunate news delivered postgame was that Sierra suffered a mild left hamstring strain on his trip around the bases. His season is ending prematurely. Worth noting, he missed time with a hamstring issue last year, too.

The 162-game campaign wraps up with a week-long road trip, first to Citi Field and then Citizens Bank Park. Left-handers Caleb Smith and Steven Matz will face off on Monday beginning at 7:10 p.m.

Nationals vs. Marlins box score (Baseball Theater)

Fish Picks answer key

1. Push (both Voth and López lasted exactly five innings)
2. Over
3. Under
4. Yes
5. Marlins
6. Cowboys