MIA 11, WAS 8; Marlins vets lead hit parade through nation’s capital

The Marlins stormed out to a commanding lead against the Nationals Monday night. Then in the later innings, they turned the faucet back on again to pour on some more runs. It didn’t come comfortably, but after four full hours on the field, the Fish secured an 11-8 victory to conclude their five-game series in Washington, DC.

• Pablo López—5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 3 K (84 pitches)
• Austin Voth—3.2 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (73 pitches)

Miami established a new season high by scoring 11 times. Shortstop Miguel Rojas drew three unintentional walks in a nine-inning game for the first time in his lengthy Marlins career. Every member of the starting lineup reached base safely at least once; all of them with exception of rookie Jesús Sánchez reached multiple times.

Entering the night, the Marlins offense had been particularly proficient in two-out situations, posting a .781 OPS that dwarfs the club’s .693 OPS overall. The Fish took that to a hilarious extreme against Austin Voth—they refused to let him complete the fourth inning. Matt Joyce, Jesús Aguilar, Corey Dickerson and Brian Anderson each recorded two-out hits to extend the rally.

A 1-0 lead exploded to 7-0, which seemed insurmountable with breakout star Pablo López on the mound.

However, defensive miscues by Anderson and Jon Berti in the bottom of the fifth made López work harder than he should’ve had to. None of the three runs charged to the right-hander were earned. Therefore, his ERA dipped to 1.98, a top-10 mark among all qualified starters in the majors.

Berti atoned for his embarrassing outfield moment with a two-run home run in the seventh. He has quietly reached base safely in 15 consecutive games played.

The Marlins bullpen—more vulnerable than ever after a busy weekend and Stephen Tarpley oblique injury—made this a nail-biter. Up 11-5 in the eighth, Don Mattingly called upon converted outfielder Brett Eibner to mop-up. On what may prove to be the final pitch he throws for the Fish, Eibner yielded a three-run tater to Adam Eaton.

Brad Boxberger and Brandon Kintzler restored order, though. All three Miami wins in this series were punctuated by Kintzler saves, actually.

The next stop on this road trip is Citi Field. Fresh off a nearly week-long hiatus, the Mets will host the Marlins for a doubleheader on Tuesday beginning at 5:10 p.m. ET.

Marlins vs. Nationals box score

Fish Picks Answer Key

1. Marlins
2. Under
3. Over
4. Yes
5. Marlins