Marlins 6, Nationals 4
WASHINGTON -- Martin Prado scored twice and had two hits, including a two-run homer, and Justin Bour crushed a three-run shot as the Miami Marlins beat the Washington Nationals 6-4 on Thursday to dampen the post-season hopes of the defending division champs.
The Nationals (75-71), who had won four straight, are now eight games behind the idle first-place New York Mets in the National League East with 16 games left. The Marlins (64-83) have won three in a row and are 9-7 against Washington this year.
Washington shortstop Ian Desmond had two hits, including a two-out, bases loaded single to drive in two runs in the eighth off reliever Bryan Morris that trimmed the margin to 6-4.
But A.J. Ramos struck out center Michael A. Taylor for the last out of the eighth with two runners on base. Ramos also pitched a perfect ninth and recorded his 28th save.
Prado, the third baseman, went deep in the first inning and first baseman Bour, who went to nearby George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, had a three-run shot in the fifth against starter and loser Tanner Roark (4-6).
Miami second baseman Dee Gordon added two hits, one run, one RBI and his 52nd steal. Left fielder Derek Dietrich and center fielder Christian Yelich also had two hits for the Marlins, who have won 12 of their last 16 games.
Marlins starter Jarred Cosart (2-4) allowed just two runs and three hits in six innings and picked up his first win since April 22 at Philadelphia. Washington right fielder Bryce Harper had two of his team's six hits (five singles) and raised his average to .340.
Prado hit a two-run homer in the first inning off Roark to give the Marlins a 2-0 lead. It was the ninth homer of the year for Prado, who also homered Wednesday against the New York Mets.
Desmond answered with his own two-run shot, a drive into the Marlins' bullpen in left to tie the score at 2 in the second. Desmond has gone deep 18 times this year after hitting at least 20 homers in the previous three years.
Miami took the lead again in the fifth at 3-2 on a sacrifice fly by second baseman Dee Gordon. He had singled in his two previous at-bats and scored on the homer by Prado in the first.
Marlins first baseman Justin Bour hit a three-run homer off Roark later in the fifth with two outs to make it 6-2. It was the 18th homer of the year for Bour, who went to high school in nearby Chantilly, Va. It was the fifth homer of his career against Washington and fourth at Nationals Park.
Roark allowed eight hits and six runs in five innings before he was lifted for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the fifth. Roark, making his ninth start of the year, had not allowed a homer in his previous four starts.
NOTES: The Friday probable starters should make for a great matchup as Washington RHP Max Scherzer (12-11, 2.91 ERA) faces Marlins RHP Jose Fernandez (5-0, 2.06). It will be the first time that Fernandez has faced the Nationals in Washington. ... Nationals OF Bryce Harper entered Thursday with four homers in his last three games. Of his 40 homers this year, 26 have been solo homers. ... Washington began a four-team, 11-game homestand against the Marlins, Orioles, Phillies and one game with the Reds on Sept. 28 in the regular-season home finale. ... Washington RHP David Carpenter returned from his rehab assignment. He was 0-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his first eight appearances this year. ... The Marlins entered Thursday having won five series in a row, the first time the franchise has done that since Sept. 26-28, 2008, to April 17-19, 2009.