Jorge Soler slugged a two-run home run — his 35th dinger of the season — to lead the host Miami Marlins to a 2-1 win over the Washington Nationals on Sunday afternoon.
The Marlins, who avoided what would’ve been a three-game sweep, trailed 1-0 when Soler went deep for the seventh time in his past 12 games. Soler leads the majors with 19 go-ahead homers.
Despite the defeat, the Nationals have won five straight series to climb out of last place in the National League East. Washington is 11-4 in its past 15 games and 16-8 in August.
Miami is just 3-8 in its past 11 games. However, the Marlins are 7-2 against the Nationals this year.
Miami used six pitchers in a bullpen game. The winning pitcher was reliever Bryan Hoeing (2-2), who allowed just four hits, one walk and one run in four innings. He struck out five batters and exited when Joey Meneses hit a hard one-hopper off his left foot.
A.J. Puk pitched out of a two-on jam in the seventh, striking out Lane Thomas. Tanner Scott pitched a scoreless ninth for his third save of the year and his 23rd since the start of last season.
Washington’s Trevor Williams (6-8) pitched a quality start but still took the loss, allowing five hits, two walks and two runs with five strikeouts in seven innings. Meneses had two hits and Dominic Smith picked up the Nationals‘ RBI.
Sunday’s contest had a light moment after the first inning. Washington’s Ildemaro Vargas left a colorfully wrapped stack of gum on the infield dirt for Venezuelan countryman and fellow second baseman Luis Arraez, who smiled and put the gift in his back pocket.
Washington opened the scoring in the third inning as CJ Abrams singled, advanced to third on Thomas’ double and scored on Smith’s groundout.
Miami took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third as Arraez singled and Soler followed by smacking a 0-2 curve 418 feet to left-center.
Nationals center fielder Jacob Young, making his first MLB start, made a stellar diving catch in the eighth inning, charging in to grab Soler’s bloop.
With two on and one out in the ninth, Scott got Young to hit into a game-ending double play.
—Field Level Media
