Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Sweep avoided thanks to RBI double by Ruiz
MIAMI — Keibert Ruiz had three hits, including a go-ahead double in the 10th inning, and the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 5-4 on Wednesday night.
César Hernández tripled and doubled, Maikel Franco singled twice, and Juan Soto had three walks for the Nationals, who avoided their second three-game sweep against the Marlins this season.
Ruiz’s smash down the third-base line off reliever Daniel Castano (0-1) scored automatic runner Dee Strange-Gordon from third. For Ruiz, the hit capped a performance that also included another double, a single and two walks.
“I wasn’t trying to do too much, just look for my pitch,” Ruiz said. “I found something that I could drive and bring in the run.
“Thank God I found that pitch and we got the result we wanted.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s sacrifice fly against Washington reliever Tanner Rainey (1-1) with the bases loaded in the ninth tied it at 4-all. The Nationals unsuccessfully appealed that Jesús Sánchez left third base before Soto caught Chisholm’s shot in right.
Victor Arano worked the 10th for his first save.
The Nationals broke a 3-3 tie after Miami reliever Anthony Bender hit Lane Thomas with the bases loaded in the eighth.
Marlins starter Pablo López, who began the day with a major-league-best 1.05 ERA, had his shortest outing of the season, working three innings on 82 pitches. The right-hander allowed three runs and four hits, walked two and struck out two. His ERA rose to 1.57.
“Today was the least comfortable I’ve felt on the mound so far and it was an odd feeling, so I was trying to re-create some stuff instead of trying to simplify,” López said. “I was trying to find something that wasn’t there.”
Chisholm, who didn’t feel well during the game, tied it at 3-all with his solo shot against starter Josiah Gray to lead off the fifth.
Chisholm drove Gray’s fastball over the wall in center for his seventh homer.
“I’m still feeling pretty bad right now,” Chisholm said. “[I] got the shivers all day and [am] still feeling them now.
“Earlier today I was just resting, and when I got to the field they asked me if I could still play. I felt like I could just play through it, like I could flip the switch when I needed to do it.”
Gray was lifted after six innings. He allowed three runs and six hits, struck out seven and hit a batter.
“You just go out there and attack the zone and put up zeroes for the team,” Gray said. “More times than not, if I get it to the spot I want to, it’s going to be a good pitch.”
Consecutive RBI doubles from Alcides Escobar and Hernández in the second put Washington ahead 3-1 before the Marlins narrowed the deficit on Garrett Cooper’s sacrifice fly in the third.
The Nationals struck quickly against López. Hernández hit a leadoff triple and scored on a wild pitch.
“We had a game plan against Pablo; he’s a tremendous pitcher,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “We wanted to see him throw the ball up and stay away from his changeup. We did a good job with that.”
Miami responded in the bottom half as leadoff hitter Chisholm tripled and raced home on Jesús Aguilar’s sacrifice fly.
Plate discipline: Hernández set the tone early with his nine-pitch at-bat in the first. The Nationals made López quickly build up his pitch count, resulting in his brief outing. The four batters after Hernández, in the inning drew at least five pitches.
“That was awesome,” Martinez said of Hernández’s at-bat. “He doesn’t get enough credit because he’s not your typical leadoff hitter but the guy swings the bat.”
Trainer’s room: Marlins: OF Jorge Soler (back stiffness) missed his second consecutive game.