MIAMI - Max Scherzer looked more like himself on Sunday.

Scherzer tossed eight scoreless innings and Matt den Dekker homered after he replaced injured Nationals star Bryce Harper to help Washington to a 5-0 win over the Miami Marlins.

"Scherzer was on his A game," Marlins manager Dan Jennings said. "He executed his pitches. I thought we squared up a lot of balls and hit them hard but they didn't find holes."

Scherzer (12-11) entered the game 0-3 with a 6.08 ERA in his last seven starts, but was in complete control against the Marlins. He allowed five hits and struck out six in his 102-pitch outing. It was his first victory since July 30, also at Miami.

"Overall I thought over the past month or so I have been throwing the ball well, I just haven't gotten the results," Scherzer said. "To be able to go out there and kind of limit the amount of mistakes I do make and have them hit the ball at people makes for a good outing."

Anthony Rendon had three hits and drove in a run while Jayson Werth, Ian Desmond, and Wilson Ramos also had RBIs to help the Nationals end a five-game losing streak.

Harper left the game in the first inning after colliding with Marlins second baseman Derek Dietrich when trying to run to third on a ground ball hit by Werth to shortstop Miguel Rojas.

"I tried to get up on my own, but I felt pretty dizzy," Harper said. "Once I rolled I just said that I didn't feel right. I was looking up into the stadium and I just didn't feel good at all. I told them I was fine to play, but once I said I was dizzy they were just like, 'There's no point' and just got me out there."

Harper was removed from the game due to precautionary reasons and was replaced in right fielder by den Dekker, who finished 1 for 4 with a solo home run on the day.

The Nationals struck first in the third inning as they took advantage of Brad Hand's inaccuracy. Hand walked three batters in the inning, including Desmond with the bases loaded to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead.

Hand (4-6) was unable to make it through the fourth inning for the second consecutive start. Hand got pulled after issuing an RBI single to Rendon.

Werth also drove in a run in the fourth with a base hit off Jose Urena to extend the Nationals' lead to 3-0.

Hand allowed three runs and five hits in 3 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out one.

"My command has been a lot better," Hand said. "It's just one of those days where I didn't have it."

Den Dekker homered to right field off Urena in the sixth inning. It was his third home run of the season.

The Marlins had runners in scoring position in the first, third, and eighth, but were unable to get to Scherzer because they were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

Ramos' groundout in the ninth scored Werth to cap the scoring

Felipe Rivero pitched the bottom of the ninth in relief of Scherzer, who singled in the eighth.

"I would imagine that if (Max) didn't run the bases in his last at-bat like he did we could have sent him back out," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "But no use doing that with a five-run lead at that point."

NOTES: Marlins RHP Jose Fernandez said he felt after making his return from the disabled list with a biceps strain that kept him sidelined since Aug. 7. "I feel good, no issues at all today," Fernandez said. "Everything is fine. Just ready to go." ... Marlins LHP Raudel Lazo, a Cuban defector, struck out Nationals slugger Bryce Harper, the only batter he faced, in the sixth inning in Saturday's 2-0 win. "I came to America looking for a future and I was thankful to the Marlins for giving me a shot," Lazo said. ... Nationals 3B Yunel Escobar returned to the lineup on Sunday after being scratched shortly before Saturday's game with a stomach virus. ... Nationals 2B Danny Espinosa took a ground ball off of his hand on Wednesday, but returned to the lineup Saturday in place of Escobar and went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Espinosa was not in the starting lineup Sunday. ... Washington recalled RHP Erik Davis and IF Wilmer Difo from Double-A Harrisburg on Sunday.