Nationals collapse in ninth as Marlins rally for 6-2 win

The Washington Nationals appeared to be on their way to a series-clinching victory Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park.

Then everything fell apart.

Washington carried a 2-0 lead into the ninth inning before the Miami Marlins erupted for six runs and stunned the Nationals 6-2. Otto Lopez capped the rally with a two-run home run as Washington’s bullpen and defense unraveled in one of the club’s toughest losses of the season.

The loss dropped Washington to 65-74, while Miami improved to 69-68. The Nationals still held a 2-1 advantage in the four-game series entering Monday’s finale.

Alvarez gives Nationals six scoreless innings

Andrew Alvarez gave Washington nearly everything it could have asked for from its starting pitcher.

The left-hander worked six scoreless innings, allowing only two hits while walking three and striking out six. Miami had very few scoring opportunities against Alvarez, and Washington’s defense helped him keep the Marlins off the scoreboard.

Washington finally broke through offensively in the fifth.

Robert Hassell III reached before Nasim Nuñez drove an RBI double that gave the Nationals a 1-0 lead. Nuñez finished the afternoon with one hit and one RBI.

The Nationals received another encouraging performance from Jorbit Vivas. He went 2-for-2 with two walks, reaching base four times in the loss.

Abrams makes first start at second base

Sunday also marked a significant defensive change for Washington.

CJ Abrams made his first start at second base for the Nationals after spending most of his Washington career at shortstop. Nasim Nuñez moved to shortstop.

Abrams looked comfortable at his new position.

He helped turn a 6-4-3 double play and made an impressive leaping catch while moving into shallow center field to end the sixth inning. Manager Blake Butera said afterward that Abrams looked good at the position.

The Nationals had announced earlier in August that they intended to eventually move Abrams to second. An ankle injury delayed those plans before Washington finally made the switch Sunday.

Washington adds insurance run

The Nationals remained in control through eight innings.

After Alvarez departed, Clayton Beeter delivered two scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Beeter did not allow a hit, surrendered only one walk and struck out three.

Washington then added what appeared to be an important insurance run in the bottom of the eighth.

Brady House reached and eventually scored when Daylen Lile lifted a sacrifice fly, extending Washington’s advantage to 2-0.

At that point, the Nationals were three outs away from winning the game.

They never got those three outs before Miami took control.

Ninth inning completely falls apart

Max Kranick entered for the ninth inning and immediately ran into trouble.

Esteury Ruiz opened the inning with a bunt single. Griffin Conine and Leo Jiménez followed with back-to-back walks, loading the bases with nobody out.

Butera then turned to Tom Cosgrove.

Cosgrove hit Jakob Marsee with a pitch, forcing home Miami’s first run and cutting Washington’s lead to 2-1.

Joe Mack followed with a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Conine and tied the game.

Then came the play that turned a bad inning into a disaster.

Andrew Pinckney attempted to throw Jiménez out at third base, but his throw sailed into the Marlins’ dugout. Jiménez was awarded home plate, putting Miami ahead 3-2.

The inning continued to unravel.

Heriberto Hernández walked before Miami executed a double steal. Marsee stole home while Hernández took second, extending the Marlins’ advantage to 4-2.

Lopez then eliminated any remaining doubt.

The Miami shortstop drove a 400-foot two-run home run into the Marlins’ bullpen, completing the six-run inning and giving Miami a 6-2 advantage. It was Lopez’s 10th home run of the season.

Kranick was charged with three earned runs in one-third of an inning and took the loss. Cosgrove allowed three more earned runs over the final two-thirds and was charged with the blown save.

Miami wins despite only four hits

Perhaps the most frustrating part of the loss for Washington was how little offensive damage Miami actually produced.

The Marlins finished with only four hits.

Washington had six.

But Miami drew seven walks, stole several bases and capitalized on Washington’s mistakes when the game mattered most. Three of Miami’s six ninth-inning runs came through a hit batter, sacrifice fly, throwing error and aggressive baserunning before Lopez finally delivered the home run.

Miami starter Janson Junk allowed one run on four hits over 4 2/3 innings. Dax Fulton pitched the eighth and earned his first career Major League victory despite allowing Washington’s second run. Michael Petersen worked a scoreless ninth to finish the game.

Nationals let a winnable game get away

Washington had plenty of reasons to believe this game was over after eight innings.

Alvarez pitched six scoreless innings.

Beeter followed with two scoreless frames.

The Nationals held Miami to two hits through the first eight innings and carried a two-run advantage into the ninth.

Then Washington allowed six runs before recording the final three outs.

The Nationals had a chance to secure the series before Monday’s finale. Instead, Miami escaped with a victory and kept itself above .500 at 69-68.

Washington and Miami return to Nationals Park Monday night for the fourth and final game of the series. Ryan Gusto is scheduled to start for Miami against Washington left-hander Will Dion.

MSB Take

This one is going to sting.

The Nationals did almost everything right for eight innings. Alvarez was outstanding, Beeter handled his assignment and Washington built a 2-0 lead despite not generating much offense.

Then the ninth inning became a complete breakdown.

Walking consecutive hitters with a two-run lead is bad enough. Hitting a batter with the bases loaded makes it worse. Throwing the ball into the dugout on a play where there was little need to force an out at third turned the inning into chaos. Allowing a runner to steal home on a double steal was another mistake that simply cannot happen in that situation.

Lopez’s home run gets the highlight, but Washington really lost this game before that ball ever left the park.

That is the frustrating part.

Miami finished with only four hits. The Nationals did not get beaten because the Marlins suddenly started crushing the baseball. Washington gave Miami extra opportunities, and Miami took advantage of every one of them.

There were positives. Alvarez again looked like a pitcher capable of becoming part of Washington’s future rotation. Abrams also looked comfortable in his first start at second base, and the defensive switch may ultimately benefit both him and the Nationals.

But those positives are going to be overshadowed by another bullpen failure.

A rebuilding team can live with young players making mistakes while learning at the Major League level. What becomes harder to accept are games where poor relief pitching, walks and fundamental defensive mistakes erase eight innings of good baseball.

Washington had this game won.

The Nationals simply did not finish it.