Marlins fall; Nats complete sweep

With Hurricane Irma looming, Miami drops homestand finale Fans could be better measured by the dozens than the hundreds — never mind the thousands.

Miami scores total of 4 runs in three games.

MIAMI – The Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals played a game in Little Havana Wednesday night. The Nats won, 8-1. Forgive South Florida for not caring too much.

With Hurricane Irma, an historically power Atlantic storm, looming this weekend and millions of Floridians preparing appropriately or simply leaving, Marlins Park was nearly empty as the Marlins lost for the ninth time in 10 games and for the eighth consecutive game against the Nationals.

The announced attendance figure, which represents the number of tickets sold, was 14,390, but the reality did not match. Fans could be better measured by the dozens than the hundreds — never mind the thousands.

Among the Nationals who helped reduce the team’s magic number to clinch the NL East to six was a trio South Florida locals who might also have the weather on their mind.

Left-hander Gio Gonzalez, who is from Hialeah, shut out the Marlins for five innings, allowing three hits and three walks. He also struck out four, including two with the bases loaded in the fourth.

Shortstop Trea Turner, who is from Lake Worth, went 2 for 4 with a run scored and a walk.

And center fielder Michael A. Taylor, who is from Fort Lauderdale, went 2 for 3, adding a homer to the blowout in the

eighth.

Fans who spent their evening food shopping, waiting in line for gas or boarding up their windows missed the Marlins’ continued offensive futility. Miami went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, including loading the bases with nobody out but failing to score in the fourth inning, and stranded nine baserunners.

The Marlins have scored one or zero runs in five out of their past 10 games. In their nine losses during this 1-9 stretch, they have totaled 13 runs.

Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna — who have each had one game off since July 27 and no games off since Aug. 10 — went a combined 1 for 9 with three walks apiece.

Left-hander Dillon Peters allowed three runs in five innings. Washington scored twice in the first inning, on Ryan Zimmerman’s single and Howie Kendrick’s double, and once in the fourth, when Zimmerman blasted a solo homer to the upper deck in right-center.

Peters exited for a pinch-hitter (Ichiro Suzuki, who singled) at 77 pitches, ending his encore to his scoreless debut. It was a step backward based merely on the line score — it’s hard to top seven shutout with eight strikeouts, after all — but Peters showed some poise in avoiding further trouble after six hits and two walks. He also broke out his sharp curveball again

Washington added three runs against righty Vance Worley, his first game since Aug. 29 and first relief appearance since July 25, in the sixth.

GASTON DE CARDENAS/AP Miami Marlins’ Dee Gordon takes the throw as Washington Nationals Trea Turner goes for the steal early in Wednesday night’s game at Marlins Park.

GASTON DE CARDENAS/AP Washington’s Gio Gonzalez, a Hialeah native, allowed only three hits over five innings Wednesday.