Nationals 7, Marlins 5
WASHINGTON -- Bryce Harper hit home runs in his first three at bats against starter Tom Koehler and ended up with five RBIs as the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 7-5 on Wednesday afternoon to win their third series in a row.
It was the first three-homer game in Harper's career. The right fielder now has eight homers this season and he became the fourth Nationals player to hit three homers in a game, joining Alfonso Soriano, Adam Dunn and current teammate and first baseman Ryan Zimmerman.
On his third homer, a solo shot in the fifth, Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton didn't even move as the blast by Harper landed in the second deck and gave the Nationals a 5-2 lead against Koehler (2-3). Moments later, Harper took a curtain call out of the dugout as he raised his right arm to an appreciative crowd.
Washington third baseman Yunel Escobar had an RBI single in the seventh to pad the lead to 6-2 against reliever Sam Dyson and Harper drove in a run on a groundout to make it 7-2 later in the frame.
Stanton hit a three-run homer in the eighth against starter Max Scherzer (2-3) to trim the margin to 7-5. Tanner Roark came on to retire the side after giving up two singles and closer Drew Storen pitched the ninth to get his eighth save.
Storen fanned Stanton, who hit a homer in the eighth, for the second out with two runners on then struck out center fielder Marcell Ozuna for the final out to seal the series win.
The Nationals had scored three in the third to take a 4-2 lead on an RBI single by shortstop Ian Desmond and a two-run homer by Harper, who now has 20 RBIs. Harper cut the lead to 2-1 with a solo shot to lead off the second.
Miami had taken a 2-0 lead in the top of the second with back-to-back RBI singles by left fielder Ichiro Suzuki and shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria against Scherzer.
But Scherzer but settled down and retired 10 batters in a row before second baseman Dee Gordon (three hits) and third baseman Martin Prado (three hits) had consecutive singles with two outs in the fifth, with the hit by Prado lost in the sun by second baseman Danny Espinosa.
Scherzer stayed focused on retired slugger Stanton on a pop up to end the threat. He has 24 homers in his career against Washington -- the most of any opponent.
Scherzer allowed five earned runs and 10 hits in seven innings while Koehler yielded five earned runs and seven hits in six innings. Koehler, in his last start against the Nationals, allowed six hits and no runs in 7 1/3 innings at home April 25 in a win.
The Nationals scored 2.78 runs per game in the first five outings by Scherzer, the 13th-lowest support of National League pitchers. Scherzer entered the game with an ERA of 1.26 this season.
The Nationals (14-15) have now won seven of their last nine games while the Marlins (13-15) lost for the third time in four outings. Washington center fielder Denard Span, catcher Wilson Ramos and shortstop Ian Desmond had two hits, as did first baseman Justin Bour and catcher J.T. Realmuto of the Marlins.
NOTES: The Nationals will open a three-game series with the Braves at home Friday and will send LHP Gio Gonzalez (2-2, 3.86) to the mound to face Atlanta LHP Eric Stults (1-2, 4.91). ... The Marlins start a west coast trip on Thursday against the San Francisco Giants as RHP Dan Haren (3-1, 2.70) faces Giants RHP Tim Hudson (1-2, 3.78). ... Washington RHP Stephen Strasburg left Tuesday's start after three innings as he complained of an irritation under his right (pitching) shoulder blade. Manager Matt Williams, on his weekly radio appearance on a station in Washington, D.C., said Wednesday morning that he does not expect Strasburg to land on the disabled list. "We'll see how he progresses through the next two or three (days) and see where he's at," Williams said. "But, at this point, I wouldn't envision a DL stint. But, again, it depends on how he feels and what he can and can't do." ... Marlins 1B Justin Bour, who made his big-league debut last year against the Nationals, was in the starting lineup for the third game in a row Wednesday. He is hitting .500 in 14 at bats while 1B Michael Morse, who did not play in the first two games of the series, is hitting .193 in 88 at bats.