Nats get good news on Soto, but suffer yet another loss
For the fourth straight day, the Miami Marlins gathered at the center of the diamond to exchange high-fives while the Washington Nationals headed to the clubhouse in dejection as their fans ambled toward the exits.
On Monday afternoon at Nationals Park, the Marlins managed a 10-inning victory — this time 3-2 — for the second time in as many days, and the Nationals (29-53) were swept at home by a team they used to beat up on. It was Washington’s fifth straight loss overall after a stretch of six wins in eight games.
Ten of the teams’ 13 matchups this season have been decided by three runs or fewer — including all four in this series — but the Marlins (38-40) have won 12 of them, including all seven at Nationals Park. On Monday, Tanner Rainey allowed a two-run homer to Bryan De La Cruz in the 10th inning that bounced off the foul pole in left field.
“We’ve been in a lot of games versus them — just haven’t been on the right side of it,” said starter Patrick Corbin, who allowed one run in seven innings to trim his ERA to 5.68. “Today could’ve went either way. Just seems they’ve been pitching a little bit better, playing a little better defense and scoring a little bit more than we have.”
Washington’s opportunity to swing the game came in the eighth. After Luis García’s RBI single tied it at 1, Manager Dave Martinez turned to Juan Soto — who didn’t start after exiting Sunday’s loss with left calf tightness — as a pinch hitter with runners on first and second with one out. Marlins reliever Zach Pop didn’t challenge Soto, walking him on four pitches to load the bases. But Lane Thomas popped out and Josh Bell flied out to end the inning.
In the 10th, García hit into a double play that got the Nationals within one, but they couldn’t find another run.
The frustrating ending overshadowed another solid outing by Corbin, who has allowed two runs over his past 15 innings. He attacked the strike zone, and the Marlins were aggressive early. Corbin surrendered five hits in the first three innings but threw 24 of his 32 pitches for strikes. The Marlins grabbed a 1-0 lead when Jesús Aguilar singled to bring home Luke Williams in the third.
The Marlins finished with eight hits off Corbin, who struck out four and walked one. His slider continued to be effective; the pitch got seven whiffs on 15 swings and averaged 83.2 mph, almost 2 mph faster than his season mark.
“He’s actually throwing his slider a little harder, and it looks like his fastball coming in,” Martinez said. “It’s been very effective.”
Even last year, when the Nationals finished at the bottom of the National League East, they went 11-8 against Miami. This year, it hasn’t worked out that way.
What’s the latest on Soto?: Soto said before the game that “everything was fine” after he underwent an MRI exam. He was removed from Sunday’s contest before the fifth inning after he felt tightness in the back of his knee after chasing a ball in right field.
“We’re going to be good,” he said. “They said it’s just a little tight, so it’s going to take a couple days and see how it goes. It all depends on how I feel day by day.”
Martinez monitored Soto during the game and turned to him to pinch-hit in the eighth. After his walk, Alcides Escobar pinch-ran for him.
After the game, Martinez said the Nationals will take Soto’s injury one day at a time.