. Miguel Rojas tried to sacrifice, collided with catcher Spencer Kieboom leaving the box and was awarded first base for obstruction. A single by Brian Anderson loaded the bases.With the Nationals using a five-infielder, two-outfielder alignment, Realmuto hit a pop fly single down the right-field line.The Nationals tied the game in the ninth on Daniel Murphy's one-out RBI single off Kyle Barraclough. Marlins third baseman Miguel Rojas made a diving stop of Michael A. Taylor's two-out grounder and threw him out to end the inning and strand a runner at third.Brett Graves (1-1), Miami's sixth pitcher, lowered his ERA to 7.84 with a perfect 10th for his first career win. The Marlins allowed only five hits.Miami starter Trevor Richards allowed three hits in six scoreless innings and struck out eight. He has an ERA of 0.48 in his past three starts.Washington's Gio Gonzalez allowed only one run in seven innings but remained winless since May 28. He matched his season high with 114 pitches.Gonzalez walked the bases loaded in the fourth inning, and Yadiel Rivera's sacrifice fly made it 1-0.The Marlins have totaled five runs in the first three games of the series.EARLY THREATWashington's Trea Turner led off the game by popping a bunt over first baseman Realmuto's head for a single. Turner stole second and third but was stranded.TRADE TALKMiami manager Don Mattingly said the organization is more unified under new CEO Derek Jeter in its approach to the trade deadline. In the past the Marlins were midseason sellers, but they now want to retain talent that can help transform them into contenders, Mattingly said.''The whole organization is together on the philosophy. We want to keep our players. We're trying to win,'' he said. ''If we're talking about moving a guy, it's a guy that we probably don't think is going to fit with us when were ready to go.'' TRAINER'S ROOMNationals: RHP Stephen Strasburg (neck) rejoined the team to continue his rehabilitation after seeing a specialist. He said he's feeling better and hopes to resume throwing soon.UP NEXTRHP Jose Urena (2-10, 4.63) will start the series finale Sunday for Miami against RHP Jeremy Hellickson (4-1, 3.44). Urena is 0-8 at home this year and has the worst run support of any starter in the majors.---More baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball)
Hot Nats gain confidence, ground in NL East 2h ago• 2 min read MIAMI -- Suddenly, the Washington Nationals are hot.The Nationals, who won the NL East the past two years by averaging 96 wins, started this Miami Marlins series under .500. But with two wins over the last-place Marlins (44-61), the Nationals are 52-51, looking like maybe they could make a run at the top two teams in the division, the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves.Washington will start left-hander Gio Gonzalez (6-7, 3.94 ERA) on Saturday night against Miami rookie right-hander Trevor Richards (3-5, 4.41).The Nationals woke up Friday seven games behind the Phillies for first place in the division.But the Nationals aren't fazed by their position, and, in fact, they picked up a game by the end of Friday night."I don't think anyone thinks six or seven games is too much by any stretch of the imagination," Nationals shortstop Trea Turner told The Washington Post on Thursday night. "Yeah, it's getting late in the season, but 60 games to make up seven is very doable." The Nationals are averaging 8.7 runs during this three-game win streak, including Friday's easy 9-1 win over the Marlins."We have to continue to do what we've been doing," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. "We're starting to swing the bats better." The pitching was terrific on Friday as Max Scherzer struck out 11 and allowed just three hits and one walk."He was pretty good," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.The only run Scherzer allowed was unearned as third baseman Mark Reynolds -- filling in for Anthony Rendon, who is on paternity leave -- made two brutal defensive plays in one inning.Reynolds made a double error on the first one -- a fielding miscue followed by a wild-high throw -- and then retreated on his next chance, turning a fieldable grounder into an RBI double.Gonzalez, who is from Miami Dade County, will pitch against his hometown team on Saturday and is surely hoping for better defense from his teammates.History is on Gonzalez's side as he has a 10-3 record and a 1.93 ERA in 17 career starts against the Marlins.Gonzalez, whose 89 mph fastball is about three miles per hour slower than the league average, went 15-9 with a 2.96 ERA last year. But he has not had that type of success in 2018.He went 0-3 with an 8.44 ERA in June and is 0-2 with a 4.98 ERA in July.Perhaps being back in his hometown will be the key for Gonzalez to return to his form of April, when he went 3-2 with a 2.67 ERA or, better yet, how he pitched in May (3-0, 1.47 ERA).Richards, on the other hand, is likely just thrilled to be in the majors. He pitched at an NCAA Division II school and made the big leagues despite being passed up in the draft.That's 40 rounds and 1,200 players selected while Richards was ignored.Richards, 25, has pitched well lately, however, with two quality starts in his past two appearances, allowing just one run in 12 2/3 innings.Despite not having a blazing fastball, Richards struck out 10 Los Angeles Dodgers on April 25. His fastball averages 91 mph.He will face a Nationals lineup that includes 19-year-old rookie Juan Soto, who has homered in three straight games.As a team, the Nationals pounded out 16 hits on Friday, including three each by Daniel Murphy, Matt Adams and Soto.
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