Heriberto Hernandez slugged his team-leading 19th homer, and Eury Perez continued his stellar pitching as the host Miami Marlins defeated the Nationals 4-2 on Saturday afternoon.
Marlins closer Pete Fairbanks, who blew a save opportunity on Friday, was not used in this game. Instead, Calvin Faucher pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his second save of the season.
Jakob Marsee also homered for the Marlins, who will try for a three-game sweep on Sunday.
It was “Dominican Heritage Celebration” night at Miami’s LoanDepot Park, which was fitting, as both Hernandez and Perez are natives of the Dominican Republic.
Perez (7-9) allowed three hits, three walks and two runs (one earned) in five innings. Perez has a 3.17 ERA this season, but since returning from injury on June 24, he has a 1.80 ERA.
Washington is 2-9 over its past 11 games. In addition, the Nationals have scored just four runs over their past three games.
Jake Irvin (2-8) took the loss, allowing six hits, two walks and four runs in six innings. He has lost four straight decisions.
The Nationals, who are 1-7 against the Marlins this year, were without three of their top hitters: shortstop CJ Abrams (ankle), right fielder James Wood (oblique) and catcher Keibert Ruiz (rest).
Miami opened the scoring in the first inning as Griffin Conine drew an eight-pitch walk, advanced to third on Owen Caissie’s double and scored along with Caissie on Otto Lopez’s two-run, opposite-field single.
Nationals right fielder Dylan Crews dove to try to catch Lopez’s 97-mph drive. However, Crews made a diving attempt, but the ball deflected off him.
The Marlins made it 3-0 in the second on Hernandez’s 393-foot homer to left.
Washington got on the board in the fourth as Abimelec Ortiz walked, advanced on a groundout and scored on shortstop Lopez’s two-out throwing error.
Miami got that run back in the bottom of the fourth on Marsee’s solo blast.
Washington cut its deficit to 4-2 in the fifth on Crews’ RBI double that went in and out of the glove of right fielder Esteury Ruiz, who charged in and made a diving attempt.