The Washington Nationals suffered another difficult loss Friday night, falling 3-2 to the Miami Marlins on a walk-off single by Javier Sanoja at loan Depot park.
Washington entered the ninth inning trailing 2-1 before Daylen Lile delivered a game-tying single off Miami closer Pete Fairbanks. The rally temporarily gave the Nationals life, but Miami immediately answered in the bottom half of the inning.
Agustin Ramirez opened the bottom of the ninth with a walk against Nationals reliever Clayton Beeter. Esteury Ruiz followed with an infield single, and Beeter committed a throwing error on the play that allowed the runners to advance to second and third with nobody out.
Washington intentionally walked Jakob Marsee to load the bases, setting up a force play at every base. Sanoja quickly ended the game by shooting a single through the middle, scoring Ramirez and giving Miami the 3-2 victory.
The loss dropped Washington to 61-69 and marked its sixth consecutive defeat against Miami this season. The Marlins improved to 65-64 and moved back above the .500 mark.
Ruiz Gives Washington the Lead
Neither team generated much offense early in the game, but Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz finally broke the scoreless tie in the sixth inning.
Ruiz turned on a one-out pitch from Tyler Zuber and drove it out for his eighth home run of the season, giving Washington a 1-0 advantage. It was also the first earned run Zuber had allowed since July 24, ending a stretch of 12 appearances without surrendering one.
For a Nationals offense that has struggled to consistently generate runs during the current road trip, Ruiz’s homer appeared as though it might be enough.
Miami had other plans.
Marlins Rally in the Eighth
Washington carried its one-run advantage into the bottom of the eighth before Miami finally broke through.
Marsee opened the inning with a triple against Tom Cosgrove. Sanoja followed with a single that brought Marsee home and tied the game at 1-1.
The Marlins kept the pressure on, and Otto Lopez eventually delivered a two-out RBI single that put Miami ahead 2-1.
Sanoja ultimately drove in two of Miami’s three runs, including both the tying run in the eighth and the winning run in the ninth. Sportsnet’s game summary also credited Sanoja with two RBIs and Lopez with Miami’s other run batted in.
Nationals Fight Back, but Cannot Finish
Washington deserves credit for answering in the ninth.
Facing Fairbanks and down to its final three outs, the Nationals managed to manufacture the tying run, with Lile coming through with the RBI single that made it 2-2.
But the Nationals never recorded an out in the bottom half before Miami walked it off.
That made the defeat especially frustrating. Washington had battled back late against one of Miami’s better relievers and created an opportunity to potentially steal a road win, only to lose the game moments later because of a walk, an infield hit, a throwing error and Sanoja’s game-winning single.
The sequence was another example of the small mistakes that can decide close games.
Washington has now lost two straight and six of its last seven games after also dropping Thursday’s series finale against the Texas Rangers. The Nationals were held to just one hit in that 2-0 loss before again struggling to produce consistent offense Friday.
MSB Take
This was a game the Nationals had a real opportunity to win.
Washington did not produce much offensively, but Ruiz’s homer gave the pitching staff a lead deep into the game. Even after Miami scored twice in the eighth, the Nationals responded in the ninth instead of quietly going down.
That made the bottom of the ninth even more disappointing.
Walking the leadoff hitter immediately created pressure. The throwing error compounded the problem, and once Miami loaded the bases with nobody out, Washington had almost no margin for error.
For a young team playing out the final portion of the season, these are the situations that need to become learning experiences. The Nationals have enough developing talent to compete in close games, but finishing those games will be one of the major steps required before the club can seriously climb the National League East standings.
Washington will look to rebound Saturday in the second game of the three-game series. Right-hander Jake Irvin is scheduled to start for the Nationals against Miami right-hander Eury Perez. ESPN lists Irvin at 2-7 with a 5.80 ERA and Perez at 6-9 with a 3.23 ERA entering the matchup.
Final: Miami Marlins 3, Washington Nationals 2
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