Nationals 3, Marlins 1
MIAMI -- Bryce Harper, who leads the majors in RBIs, drove in his 21st run to help the Washington Nationals defeat the Miami Marlins 3-1 on Wednesday night at Marlins Park.
Harper went 1-for-4 with a run-scoring double. Teammate Daniel Murphy went 2-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 12 games, the longest active run in the National League. Murphy leads the majors with a .429 batting average.
Washington's Ryan Zimmerman added an RBI double, and Michael Taylor hit a solo homer.
Nationals starting pitcher Joe Ross lasted just two innings, leaving the game due to a blister on his right middle finger. The right-hander allowed one hit, one walk and no runs.
Washington got excellent work out of its bullpen as four relief pitchers combined to allow one run in seven innings. Yusmeiro Petit (1-0) earned the win with four innings of work. Closer Jonathan Papelbon pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his sixth save of the season. With a runner on first and two outs in the ninth, Papelbon struck out power-hitting Giancarlo Stanton, who was caught looking at a fastball.
Marlins starter Wei-Yin Chen pitched seven innings, allowing six hits, two walks and three runs, striking out seven.
Washington got to Chen quickly. In the first inning, Anthony Rendon drew a four-pitch walk and scored on a two-out double to left-center by Zimmerman.
The Nationals made it 2-0 in the third. Ross walked on a 3-2 pitch and scored when Harper lined an 0-2 delivery for a double over the glove of center fielder Ichiro Suzuki.
Taylor gave Washington a 3-0 lead when his solo home run in the fifth inning barely made it over the wall in right-center. It was his second homer of the season.
Miami got that run back in the bottom of the fifth on a solo home run by Derek Dietrich, who pulled a 1-2 pitch from reliever Yusmeiro Petit over the wall in right.
NOTES: Nationals manager Dusty Baker asked for -- and received -- a signed bat from Marlins CF Ichiro Suzuki and 2B Dee Gordon. Baker said he is giving the bat to his son. ... Nationals OF Ben Revere, who went on the disabled list April 6 with a right oblique strain, is working out with the team but is not close to returning. ... Marlins manager Don Mattingly turned 55 on Wednesday. ... Mattingly said Nationals RHP Joe Ross is particularly tough on right-handed hitters. For that reason, Mattingly stacked his lineup -- five of his first six batters are left-handed hitters, including non-regulars Suzuki and 3B Derek Dietrich. ... Mattingly rested CF Marcell Ozuna and 3B Martin Prado. ... Marlins LHP Mike Dunn, out since March 25 with a strained right oblique, is not yet able to throw.