Marlins 3, Nationals 1
Alex Sanabia tossed 6 2/3 strong innings and rookie Brad Davis hit his second career homer as the Florida Marlins opened a three-game series with a 3-1 victory over the Washington Nationals on Friday.
Dan Uggla added an RBI single and Wes Helms chipped in a sacrifice fly for the Marlins, who snapped a three-game slide.
Sanabia (4-2) yielded just three hits while walking three and striking out three. The 22-year-old right-hander has allowed two earned runs or less in six of his nine major league starts.
Florida provided its rookie hurler with all the support he would need in the first when Uggla’s one-out single to center off John Lannan scored Emilio Bonifacio from second and sent Hanley Ramirez to third. Helms followed with his sacrifice fly to score Ramirez for a 2-0 edge.
Lannan (7-7) allowed Davis’ second career homer in the seventh before being removed. The left-hander was charged with all three runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking three in 6 2/3 innings.
Former closer Leo Nunez was charged with a run on three hits in the eighth before Clay Hensley came on to record the final out of the eighth and work the ninth for his first career save.