Matt Adams and Victor Robles homered during a five-run sixth inning, and the Washington Nationals stormed back to beat the Miami Marlins 8-5 on Thursday and sweep the three-game series.
The Nationals, who have won 21 of their past 30 games, reached the .500 mark (40-40) for the first time since they were 11-11 in late April.
Washington's Stephen Strasburg (9-4) beat the Marlins for the 10th straight time, giving up four runs in seven innings. That is the longest winning streak in Nationals history over a single opponent and is now tied for the second-longest among active pitchers. Clayton Kershaw has defeated the San Diego Padres 11 times in a row, and Michael Wacha has bested the Reds 10 straight.
The Marlins fell despite getting four hits from leadoff man Miguel Rojas.
Miami starter Sandy Alcantara (4-7) had given up just one run in five innings before the Nationals erupted in the sixth.
Trea Turner led off with a single and stole second before Anthony Rendon was hit by a pitch with one out. With two outs, Adams launched a towering homer down the right field line for a three-run shot that tied the game at 4-4. Kurt Suzuki then doubled, and Robles followed with a two-run homer to make it 6-4.
Suzuki added a solo homer in the eighth, and Adam Eaton hit an RBI single in the ninth to give Washington an 8-4 lead.
Strasburg gave up seven hits and no walks while striking out four. Wander Suero fanned all three batters in the eighth. Nationals closer Sean Doolittle gave up a run in the ninth in a non-save situation.
The Marlins took a 3-0 lead in the third on a two-run double by Rojas and an RBI groundout by Harold Ramirez.
Juan Soto hit a solo homer in the fourth to put Washington on the board.
Miami made it 4-1 with an RBI single in the fifth by Garrett Cooper.
Alcantara allowed six runs on seven hits in six innings with one walk and one strikeout.
The Nationals were 19-31 after losing four straight at New York against the Mets in a series that ended May 23.
The Marlins had won four in a row before dropping all three against Washington this week.
--Field Level Media
Washington | Miami | |
Stephen Strasburg | Player | Sandy Alcantara |
Win | W/L | Loss |
7.0 | IP | 6.0 |
4 | Strikeouts | 1 |
7 | Hits | 7 |
5.14 | ERA | 9.00 |
Washington | Miami | |
Kurt Suzuki | Player | Miguel Rojas |
2 | Hits | 4 |
1 | RBI | 2 |
1 | HR | 0 |
6 | TB | 7 |
.500 | Avg | .800 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
Washington | 10 | 4 | 26 | .270 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Miami | 8 | 0 | 11 | .229 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |