Marlins dominate

Three Straight Homers Blow the Game Open

Miami entered the fifth inning tied and left it with a commanding lead. After a walk to Owen Caissie, Mack — a 23-year-old rookie — launched his first career MLB home run, a two-run shot. Hernández and Lopez followed immediately, hitting back-to-back blasts, according to CBS Sports. All three homers came off Mikolas, who was booed by the home crowd after Lopez's shot left the park.

Hernández was the night's biggest offensive force. He hit two home runs — his 4th and 5th of the season — finishing with multiple RBIs. His fifth-inning homer traveled an estimated 410 feet with an exit velocity of 106 mph. Mack finished the game with three RBIs total. Lopez, currently the MLB batting average leader at .335, added two hits on the night, per WUSA9.

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Marlins Hold Washington Hitless for Five-Plus Innings

Miami's pitching staff kept Washington off the board and off the base paths for most of the game. Starter Lake Bachar threw 2.2 hitless innings as part of a planned bullpen game. The Nationals did not get their first hit until Drew Millas singled to right field in the bottom of the sixth, according to KSDK.

Miami used six relievers total, a strategy forced by major injuries to its rotation. Janson Junk, Eury Pérez, and Robby Snelling are all on the injured list. Washington rallied for two runs in the seventh on singles by CJ Abrams and Daylen Lile, cutting the lead to 4-3. But the Marlins answered with three more runs in the ninth to put the game away, per The Hour.

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Marlins Seal It With a Big Ninth Inning

Miami added three insurance runs in the top of the ninth to go up 7-3. Mack executed a safety squeeze bunt to score Liam Hicks. Then Hernández launched his second home run of the night, a two-run blast off Mitchell Parker. Closer Calvin Faucher finished off the Nationals in the bottom half to lock up the win, according to Winnipeg Free Press.

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What This Win Means for Both Teams' Standings

The Marlins improved to 28-34 on the season. The win moved them closer to the Nationals, who sit at 31-31. Both teams remain well behind the first-place Atlanta Braves in the NL East, per Yahoo Sports.

For Miami, the four-homer night was a sharp departure from a tough offensive season. The Marlins entered the game ranked 28th in the league with just 49 home runs. Joe Mack's first career homer gives the team a promising young piece behind the plate, MRT noted. National analysts caution the power surge may be an outlier given Miami's underlying numbers.

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