WASHINGTON -- The Miami Marlins were a strike away from being swept in a three-game series to start the season in Washington.

Throw in a pair of rain delays and a looming road trip to New York, and the first week of the year was looking grim.

But the Marlins got two-out RBI hits in the eighth, ninth and 10th on Thursday evening to come back and beat the Washington Nationals 4-3 in 10 innings.

"It is hard to pick one over the other," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said of the late heroics.

Catcher J.T. Realmuto (three hits) had a two-run homer in the eighth to make it 2-2, pinch-hitter Tyler Moore tied the game with an RBI single with two outs in the ninth off his former team and local product Justin Bour drove in the game-winning run in extra innings for the Marlins.

"That righty has a nasty sinker," Mattingly said of Moore's hit against Washington closer Blake Treinen. "To get that hit there with two strikes was huge for us. Obviously a lot of good things tonight."

The same could be said of the Nationals as first baseman Ryan Zimmerman lifted his average to .417 with two hits and a homer.

Daniel Murphy and Jayson Werth also had two hits, and starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez pitched six scoreless innings before a rain delay denied him a chance to continue.

"These rain delays (stink). We did a scrappy job. They did a scrappy job," Gonzalez said. "It was a good fight all of the way to the end."

But Realmuto, who was praised by Mattingly before the game, continued to torment Washington.

He is hitting .583 early on and scored twice Thursday.

"He is swinging a good bat. He did what he is supposed to do," Washington reliever Shawn Kelley said of the homer he gave up to Realmuto. "It just comes down to execution really."

Bour, a product of nearby George Mason University, lined a double down the left field line off reliever Joe Blanton (0-1) in the 10th. His hit scored Realmuto, who had singled for his third hit.

"A hit like that makes you feel really good," Mattingly said of Bour, who got his first hit of the season in 11 at-bats.

A.J. Ramos pitched the last of the 10th for his first save as the Marlins salvaged the series finale. He retired Anthony Rendon for the final out with two runners on. The winner was David Phelps (1-1), who pitched a scoreless ninth.

Moore had a pinch-hit single with two outs in the ninth off former teammate Treinen to tie the game at 3.

Zimmerman put Washington ahead 3-2 with a homer in the eighth off Junichi Tazawa. The second hit by Zimmerman was originally called a triple on the field, but a crew-chief review ruled it a homer.

Adam Eaton, acquired in a trade with the Chicago White Sox in December, hit his first homer with the Nationals to give Washington a 1-0 lead in the first off Miami starter Tom Koehler. Werth crushed a homer in the seventh off reliever Kyle Barraclough to make it 2-0.

Gonzalez, who fanned seven, allowed seven hits in six shutout innings but escaped damage with the help of his defense. He was aided by a double-play grounder off the bat of Marcell Ozuna in the sixth.

Koehler gave up one run in five innings and was lifted after a rain delay following the top of the sixth. Gonzalez and Koehler both made at least 27 starts the previous four years.

Christian Yelich and Giancarlo Stanton each had two hits for the Marlins.

"You don't want that (losing streak) to grow," Mattingly said. "It is good to get that" win.

NOTES: The game began after a rain delay of 80 minutes. There was also a rain delay of 63 minutes before the last of the sixth. ... Washington RHP Max Scherzer makes his first start of the year Friday in Philadelphia against Phillies RHP Vince Velasquez. ... Marlins LHP Wei-Yin Chen makes his first start of the season against the Mets in New York on Friday. He has no hits in 50 at-bats in the majors. "That is pretty amazing he hasn't thrown one out there somehow," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "I think it will happen. He worked hard in spring. He handles the bat well. Hopefully he will get it." RHP Zack Wheeler will make his first start for the Mets.