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Marlins knock out Strasburg early, beat Nats in 10

Sep 8, 2012 - 5:04 AM Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Jose Reyes' two-run triple in the 10th inning was the difference as the Miami Marlins downed the Washington Nationals, 9-7, in the opener of a three-game series at Nationals Park.

Reyes finished with three hits, three RBI and two runs scored for the Marlins, who won their second straight game.

Chad Gaudin (3-1) earned the win with a scoreless ninth inning, while Steve Cishek left the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th for his 13th save of the year.

Tyler Clippard (2-4) surrendered three runs in the top of the 10th to take the loss for Washington, which had its five-game win streak snapped but still sits 6 1/2 games ahead of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.

Stephen Strasburg started the game for the Nationals and allowed five runs on six hits and three walks over three innings. The hard-throwing righty is scheduled to make one more start this season before being shut down for the year.

"To be honest with you, I think he's just thinking too much about the decision of whether we are going to shut him down," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said about Strasburg. "He kind of wore it and he didn't like it."

Jacob Turner was sharp in a six-inning start for the Marlins, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk before the Miami bullpen allowed Washington to battle back from a 6-2 deficit.

Carlos Zambrano relieved Turner to start the seventh inning and Ian Desmond greeted him with a single up the middle before Danny Espinosa ripped a double into the left-center field gap, scoring Desmond.

Kurt Suzuki's double to right-center field brought home Espinosa and Ryan Webb was summoned from the bullpen. Pinch-hitter Steve Lombardozzi then hit a bouncer up the middle that second baseman Donovan Solano fielded, but his throw to first was wide and Suzuki raced home to bring the Nationals within 6-5.

After Miami left a pair of runners in scoring position in the top of the eighth inning, Michael Morse hammered a ball into the seats in right-center field off A.J. Ramos to tie the game at six runs apiece.

The Marlins threatened in the top of the ninth inning by placing a runners on the corners with one out, but Greg Dobbs tried to take home on Rob Brantly's liner to shallow center field and Bryce Harper's throw to the plate easily beat Dobbs by several steps, allowing Suzuki to apply the tag to end the frame.

Back-to-back one-out singles by Bryan Petersen and Justin Ruggiano placed runners on first and third again in the top of the 10th inning before Reyes laced a ball to left-center field that landed just in front of a diving Harper for a triple.

Following an intentional walk to Giancarlo Stanton, Carlos Lee lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to bring home Reyes for a 9-6 lead.

But Washington would not go quietly as Adam LaRoche opened the home 10th with a double and rounded third on Morse's single up the middle that deflected into left field off the leg of the umpire.

A Desmond double placed the tying runs on second and third with no outs, but Cishek fanned Espinosa, pinch-hitter Roger Bernadina and Jayson Werth around a one-out walk by Suzuki to leave the bases loaded.

"It's never easy beating the Nationals," Reyes said. "They always find a way to fight back."

Miami jumped out to the early advantage when Petersen led off the game with a walk, advanced to second on a Reyes single and came home on Stanton's double to left field that deflected off the glove of third baseman Ryan Zimmerman.

Lee followed with a sacrifice fly to right field to plate Reyes.

Washington, though, answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first to knot the game at 2-2 on Zimmerman's two-run blast into the left-field bleachers. Werth singled prior to Zimmerman's 19th home run of the season.

But the Marlins quickly regained the lead in the second inning with Brantly's solo shot just over the right-field wall.

Miami added a couple more runs in the third inning with Stanton's home run to right-center field and a Solano RBI single after a ground-rule double by Dobbs to take a 5-2 advantage.

The Marlins' offense kept rolling in the fourth inning as Ruggiano worked a one-out walk and rounded the bases on Reyes' triple off the base of the wall in left-center field.

Game Notes

Zimmerman extended his hit streak to 12 games ... Espinosa extended his hit streak to nine games ... LaRoche had his streak of four straight games with a home run snapped ... The season series between the teams is tied, 8-8 ... Miami went 4-for-18 with runners in scoring position and left 12 men on base ... Washington hit 3-for-7 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine.