Alcantara rebounds on the mound and the Marlins snap their 5-game skid with a 7-3 win over the Nats

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sandy Alcantara pitched seven steady innings and the Miami Marlins hit three home runs, snapping their five-game losing streak with a 7-3 win over the Washington Nationals on Monday night.

After yielding 14 runs over his previous two starts, Alcantara (4-4) allowed three runs and seven hits this time. He struck out five without a walk.

The Marlins trailed 3-1 before scoring three runs in the sixth. After pinch-hitter Heriberto Hernández tied it with a two-run homer, Miami went ahead on Connor Norby’s RBI double off Richard Lovelady (2-3). Liam Hicks and Kyle Stowers added home runs for the Marlins in the ninth.

Jacob Young went deep for Washington.

Otto Lopez had three hits and a walk for Miami, raising his major league-leading batting average to .333.

Cade Cavalli walked three batters in the first inning, including Owen Caissie with the bases loaded to give the Marlins a 1-0 lead. Young’s two-run homer put Washington up by a run in the second, and Curtis Mead added an RBI single in the third.

Leo Jiménez led off the sixth with a single, and with three straight left-handed batters due up, the Nationals pulled Cavalli in favor of Lovelady, a lefty. Hernández batted for Caissie and sent a drive to left field that easily cleared the wall, tying the game.

The Marlins weren’t finished. After a hit batter and a sacrifice bunt, Norby sent a flare just inside the foul line behind first base, putting Miami up 4-3.

Hicks hit a solo homer and Stowers added a two-run shot in the ninth.

Miami put right-hander Josh Ekness on the 15-day injured list with a right calf strain, retroactive to Friday.

Up next

The Nationals send Miles Mikolas (1-4) to the mound Tuesday night. Miami had not announced a scheduled starter.

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