Anibal Sanchez pitched five scoreless innings and Joey Meneses slugged a two-run homer to lead the Washington Nationals to a 6-1 win over the host Miami Marlins on Sunday afternoon.
Shortstop CJ Abrams was dynamic for the Nationals (53-99), going 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI.
Prior to the game, the Marlins announced that manager Don Mattingly will not return next season. The team called it a mutual decision, ending Mattingly’s seven-year run with Miami.
The Marlins (63-90) finished its season series against Washington with a 15-4 record. That ties Miami’s record of most wins over one opponent in the same season, matching what they did against the 2004 New York Mets.
Sanchez (3-6) allowed two hits and two walks, striking out four. He improved to 5-3 against the Marlins, his original MLB franchise.
Marlins rookie starter Edward Cabrera (6-4) took the loss, leaving after 3 2/3 innings due an apparent sprained right ankle. He suffered the injury while trying to field a bunt single by Victor Robles. Cabrera allowed six hits and three runs, two earned.
Robles had another eventful bunt in the second inning. On that play, also fielded by Cabrera, Abrams appeared to score. But Abrams missed the plate with his slide, and he was tagged out near the Miami dugout.
Washington opened the scoring eight pitches into the game as leadoff batter Lane Thomas singled and scored on Meneses’ one-out homer. Meneses hit a first-pitch fastball and produced a 405-foot drive to center.
The Nationals extended their lead to 3-0 in the fourth. Abrams doubled down the first-base line and took third on Robles’ bunt hit. With two outs, Robles stole second. With no Marlins infielder covering second, catcher Nick Fortes’ throw bounced off of Robles, and Abrams scored easily.
Washington added two more runs in the eighth, getting Abrams’ run-scoring single and Vargas’ RBI double.
Miami got on the board in the bottom of the eighth as Lewin Diaz belted a homer, cutting the Marlins’ deficit to 5-1.
The Nationals added an unearned run in the ninth to close the scoring.
–Field Level Media