Reynolds’ barrage powers Nats to win

Infielder 5-for-5 with two homers, 10 RBIs

WASHINGTON — Mark Reynolds may have sent his manager toward a sleepless night.

How is Dave Martinez supposed to rest when he’s got to figure out whether Reynolds’ career night earned him another start Sunday?

“Well, I mean I’m going to sleep just fine. That’s his problem,” Reynolds joked afterward. “I’ll be ready to go either way.”

Reynolds homered twice and drove in a career-high 10 runs, Max Scherzer won for the first time since June 5, and the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 18-4 on Saturday.

Martinez said he’ll have to think about where to put the right-handed hitting Reynolds when the Marlins start a right-hander Sunday. Martinez has other options at first base, including left-handed hitters Matt Adams and Daniel Murphy.

Washington has won three straight and scored a combined 35 runs since calling a players-only meeting Wednesday after falling under .500 for the first time since May 2.

Reynolds (5-for-5) tied his career high for hits and equaled the Nationals’ RBI record.

Reynolds hit a two-run homer in the second inning into the same visitors’ bullpen where his walk-off homer landed Friday. He followed that up with an RBI double in the second, a two-run single in the fifth, a three-run homer in the sixth and a two-run single in the seventh.

“Yeah, that’s like a good two weeks,” Reynolds said. “These things don’t

happen often.”

Signed as a minor league free agent in April, Reynolds is 12-for-23 with four home runs since June 29.

“I’ve seen him like this,” Martinez said. “When he gets hot like this, he can stay hot for a while, so we’ll have to figure something out, see if we can get him in tomorrow.”

Washington, which has won 14 straight against Miami, broke it open by batting around and scoring a season-best seven runs in the fifth inning.

“We haven’t had any success with them in a while now,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “They’re a good lineup up and down, but we’ve pitched better than this.”

Scherzer (11-5), who was 0-4 in his previous five starts, pitched seven innings, allowing four runs on four hits — three of which were home runs. The Nationals had been shut out in three of Scherzer’s previous five starts.

Miami starter Wei-Yin Chen (2-6) lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits.

Bryce Harper had three hits and an intentional walk.

Susan Walsh The Associated Press Nationals infielder Mark Reynolds connects on one of his five hits, including two home runs, during Washington’s 18-4 home victory over the Marlins on Saturday.