The host Miami Marlins ended their 24-inning scoreless streak early in the game and went on to defeat the Washington Nationals 3-2 on Friday night.

Miami snapped a four-game losing streak in the process, winning for just the third time in its last 16 contests.

Left-hander Caleb Smith (2-0) earned the victory, giving up one run on five hits without walking a batter while striking out eight in six innings. He has 29 strikeouts in 23 innings this year.

Four Marlins relievers -- Nick Anderson, Drew Steckenrider, Adam Conley and Sergio Romo -- held Washington to one run over the final three innings. Romo pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his second save of the season.

Washington's Anibal Sanchez -- who made his major league debut with the Marlins in 2006 and had a no-hitter in six-plus seasons with the franchise -- took the loss to fall to 0-2. He allowed five hits, four walks and three runs in 5 1/3 innings. He also struck out six.

Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon doubled in the sixth inning, extending the longest active hit streak in the majors to 17 games.

Washington opened the scoring in the first. Adam Eaton bunted the game's first pitch for a hit as Smith couldn't get the ball out of his glove in time. Eaton took second on a wild pitch that bounced just a few feet in front of catcher Jorge Alfaro and scored when Juan Soto drilled a full-count slider for an opposite-field single down the left field line.

Miami ended its drought in the second. Starlin Castro hit a leadoff single and went to third on a single by Miguel Rojas. Isaac Galloway earned an RBI when he hit a grounder to Rendon, whose low throw pulled first baseman Ryan Zimmerman off the bag.

The Marlins took their first lead since Saturday during a two-run sixth inning. Rojas sliced a one-out, opposite-field double down the right-field line, Galloway ran out an infield single and a bunt play left the bases loaded with one out. Martin Prado, who is 15-for-36 in his career against Sanchez, came on as a pinch hitter and drew an RBI walk.

That ended Sanchez's night, and Miami stretched its lead to 3-1 when reliever Matt Grace's first pitch plunked Curtis Granderson on his backside.

Washington closed its deficit to 3-2 in the seventh as Brian Dozier pulled a first-pitch fastball from Anderson for a line-drive home run to left, his second of the season.

Anderson, a 28-year-old rookie, recovered to strike out the side. He now has 20 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings to go with a 2.79 ERA.

--Field Level Media