Marlins finish off a 3-game sweep in Washington with a 4-1 win over the Nationals

WASHINGTON (AP) — Max Meyer allowed two hits in seven innings, and Joe Mack hit a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth to lift the Miami Marlins to a 4-1 win over Washington on Wednesday and a three-game sweep of the Nationals.

Meyer (6-0) is unbeaten in 13 starts this year, tying the franchise record to start a season set by Livan Hernandez in 1997. He allowed a run and two walks with seven strikeouts.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth, Mack lined a single to right-center field off Clayton Beeter (1-1) to put Miami up 3-1. Calvin Faucher worked the bottom of the eighth for the Marlins, and Pete Fairbanks finished for his seventh save in nine chances.

It’s been a streaky stretch for the Marlins, who lost three in a row, won four and lost five before their current run of three straight wins.

Esteury Ruiz homered in the second to give the Marlins a 1-0 lead, but the Nationals tied it in the third. With the bases loaded and one out, shortstop Otto Lopez — playing in a bit — wasn’t able to handle a grounder up the middle by Dylan Crews. Everyone was safe and Lopez was charged with an error.

Curtis Mead followed with another grounder to Lopez, who this time started a double play to end the inning.

After a walk and a wild pitch to start the fifth, Washington second baseman Nasim Nuñez pulled off a risky move when he threw to third on a grounder up the middle. It was in time to retire Connor Norby, and the call was upheld after a review.

In the eighth, Beeter allowed a single to Xavier Edwards and a walk to Liam Hicks. Then the right-hander wasn’t able to get to a bunt by Jakob Marsee that went for an infield single. With the bases full, Beeter struck out Owen Caissie. Then Nuñez made another big defensive play, fielding a grounder up the middle and throwing home for the second out.

That became moot when Mack delivered the game’s biggest hit, putting Miami up by two.

Kyle Stowers tripled home a run in the ninth.

Up next

Both teams are off Thursday.

Miami sends Tyler Phillips (0-1) to the mound at home Friday night against Tampa Bay. The Nationals are at Arizona, with Foster Griffin (6-2) starting.

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