Marlins collect 22 hits in rout that ends a 14-game slide against Washington.
WASHINGTON — No walk-off homers, no blown leads and no meltdown innings this time.
Just a lot of hits — mostly singles — as the Marlins continually crowded the bases Sunday and took out some frustration on the host Washington Nationals in a 10-2 rout.
Miami collected a season-high 22 hits in snapping a 14-game losing streak to Washington — a fran- chise worst against a single opponent. Catcher J.T. Realmuto led the way with a career-high five hits and three RBIs.
“It was huge for us ending the series on a good note,” Realmuto said. “Just coming away with a win today and not getting swept hopefully gives us some momentum for the next time we play these guys.”
Miami opened the bizarre fourgame series by blowing a 9-0 lead Thursday. Washington’s Mark Reyn- olds hit a walk-off home run Friday, then drove in 10 runs in an 18-4 victory Saturday.
The Marlins salvaged the finale by going station-to-station on the basepaths. Other than back-to-back doubles by Justin Bour and Martin Prado in the ninth inning, 20 of the Marlins’ hits were singles.
“It feels like every time a team really kicks the dog out of us, the
Marlins
By Tom D’Angelo LAS VEGAS — More than a week after the start of a new NBA fiscal year, the Miami Heat remain the same team they were when free agency kicked off July 1.
The Heat are one of a handful of teams who have yet to make a move since the calendar turned to July. The only announcement coming from the team in recent weeks was the signing of forward Derrick Jones Jr. to a standard NBA contract.
Any future moves by team president Pat Riley will be made with the luxury tax in mind. With about $120 million committed to 11 players for the upcoming season, the Heat are about $4 million away from crossing the luxury tax threshold. That is something they would like to avoid, especially with a team considered a non-contender.
The luxury tax comes into play in several scenarios.
The Heat are one of three teams that have been linked to Carmelo Anthony, who will part ways with Oklahoma City. If the Thunder are unable to trade Anthony, who is due $27.9 million this sea-
Heat
next day we respond really well,” Realmuto said. “That shows the kind of guys we have in this clubhouse.”
The Nationals ended the onslaught by having Reynolds pitch in the ninth inning. He didn’t disappoint the Washington faithful, inducing a weak grounder to first from pinch hitter Bryan Holaday and receiving a loud ovation.
Prado had four hits, J.T. Riddle added three hits and two RBI, and Bour, Starlin Castro and Cameron Maybin each had two hits.
“It started with our approach as a team and we never hesitated,” Prado said. “You never know with these good teams — you have to never stop and we never
did.”
Marlins starter Trevor Richards couldn’t finish the fourth inning after giving up four hits and a career-high seven walks. But the bullpen returned to form as Drew Rucinski, Adam Conley, Drew Steckenrider, Brad Ziegler and Kyle Barraclough kept the Nationals off the board for a combined 5 1/3 innings. Miami relievers had allowed a combined 21 runs in the previous three games of the series.
Steckenrider pitched the seventh to extend his scoreless streak to 192/3 innings — the longest active streak in the majors.
For Conley (3-1), who struck out four in two innings, it was a needed bounce-back coming off his worst outing of the season Thursday, when he allowed five runs in two-thirds of an inning.
“I knew Conley was going to be big for us today and he got us six outs straight and did a great job for us,” Realmuto said.
Notes: Right fielder Brian Anderson recorded his 99th hit, tying a Marlins rookie record set by Alex Gonzalez (1999) for most hits before the All-Star break. ... Left fielder Derek Dietrich crashed into the wall in left-center after making an inning-ending catch in the third. He remained on his back momentarily but then jogged off the field.
‘You never know with these good teams — you have to never stop.’ Martin Prado
Marlins third baseman