MIAMI -- Max Scherzer was in good spirits after Tuesday night's game, and that was the best news the Washington Nationals could get on an otherwise disappointing night.

The first-place Nationals lost Scherzer to a neck spasm and then blew a six-run lead, falling 7-6 to the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night at Marlins Park.

"I'm all right," said Scherzer, a two-time Cy Young winner and five-time All-Star. "I slept on my neck wrong a couple of days ago. We've been treating it ... I've had this before.

"I warmed up OK. I had enough to at least start the game, but it hurt when I turned to my left. When it tightened up even more in the second inning, I knew it was time to pull the chute."

Scherzer hit his first career homer, a three-run blast, in the top of the second, but he could not throw a pitch in the bottom of the inning.

Ironically, Scherzer, who hit a breaking ball from Marlins rookie left Chris O'Grady, said the neck injury helped him hit the homer.

"I couldn't pull my head out, and I had to stay locked in, and that gave me a better swing," Scherzer said. "So, sure enough, that's the reason why I hit the home run."

Miami left fielder Marcell Ozuna hit a three-run homer of his own, this one tying the score 6-6 in the fifth, and teammate Derek Dietrich had the go-ahead RBI with a triple in the same inning.

"After (Scherzer) left, I thought we had a chance to win the game," Ozuna said. "The best pitcher in baseball going out with an injury -- you have a chance."

Nationals left fielder Howie Kendrick also had a big game, going 5-for-5 with a two-run homer. He tied his career high with five hits.

"He can hit," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said of Kendrick, acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies before the trade deadline. "That's why we got him."

Marlins reliever Brad Ziegler earned his first save, getting Ryan Zimmerman to bounce out with two down and runners on the corners.

"I had a lot of adrenaline," said Ziegler, fresh off the disabled list due to a back injury. "I hadn't faced a big-league hitter in six weeks."

Washington's bullpen, meanwhile, couldn't hold a 6-0 lead, and the biggest shot came from Ozuna, who has 25 homers and 84 RBIs, one short of his career high in the latter category.

Nationals reliever Matt Albers (5-2), who allowed Ozuna's homer, took the loss. Marlins reliever Dustin McGowan (7-1) earned the win after tossing two scoreless innings.

The Nationals (63-42) still lead the Marlins (50-55) by 13 games in the National League East.

O'Grady took a no-decision despite allowing seven hits, two walks and six runs in three innings. He fell apart in the second inning, when Washington scored six runs.

The rally started when Daniel Murphy doubled to right. Anthony Rendon followed with an RBI double to left-center. After an infield hit by Brian Goodwin, Scherzer hit a 0-2 breaking ball to left for his three-run homer.

Washington added two more runs when Wilmer Difo singled and Kendrick homered to left-center, also on a breaking ball.

Miami cut its deficit to 6-1 in the third when Miguel Rojas tripled to right-center and scored on a Dee Gordon groundout. Goodwin, Washington's center fielder, made a diving attempt at Rojas' line drive but came up empty.

The Marlins added two runs in the fourth. Ozuna scored on Tomas Telis' sacrifice fly, and J.T. Realmuto came home on a Rojas single.

Ozuna's homer to left tied the score 6-6 in the fifth. Later in the inning, Dietrich hit his RBI triple high off the wall in center to give Miami a 7-6 lead.

Scherzer, while disappointed that his Nationals lost, said he will relish his first home run since high school.

"I will make sure that all my teammates on all my teams know about it," he said. "They are going to hear about it for a while. I will probably have shirts made and everything."

NOTES: Marlins manager Don Mattingly said RHP Edinson Volquez (elbow) and SS JT Riddle (shoulder) are out for the year. ... Nationals RHP Stephen Strasburg (elbow) is unlikely to be ready by Thursday when he is eligible to come off the disabled list. ... Nationals CF Michael A. Taylor (oblique) started a rehab assignment Monday and went 0-for-2 in a Class-A game. ... Nationals RHP Brandon Kintzler, acquired Monday from the Minnesota Twins, is expected to arrive in Miami on Wednesday. The Twins had an off day in San Diego on Monday and Kintzler was at the zoo -- feeding a rhino according to his tweet -- when he got news he was traded. ... Marlins RHP Vance Worley 0-2, 6.42 ERA) will start Wednesday's series finale. Washington will start RHP A.J. Cole, who will be brought up from Triple-A Syracuse.