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Marlins beat Nationals in 10 innings

May 29, 2014 - 5:11 AM Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - Casey McGehee, Reed Johnson and Donovan Solano drove in runs during a four-run 10th inning and the Miami Marlins came away with an 8-5 win over the Washington Nationals in a roller-coaster NL East game Wednesday night.

Wilson Ramos hit a game-tying solo homer in the seventh inning for Washington, which trailed 4-0 earlier in the game, but the catcher was thrown out by right fielder Giancarlo Stanton trying to stretch a single into a double leading off the ninth.

It was one in a string of missed opportunities for the Nationals, who ended up stranding runners at first and third base in the ninth after squandering a bases-loaded, no-out opportunity in the eighth.

They fell to 1-6 in their last seven despite a great offensive effort by Nate McLouth, who had four hits, including a two-run double, and reached base all five times he batted.

"Everybody's frustrated," said Nationals manager Matt Williams. "We'll keep pushing. We battled back to tie it, we just couldn't get it done."

McGehee had four hits for the Marlins, who also won the series opener before Tuesday's game was rained out. They improved to 5-2 in their last seven games and to 3-12 in their last 15 in Washington.

In the 10th, Jerry Blevins gave up a leadoff single to Ed Lucas and walked Christian Yelich. Both runners moved up on Derek Dietrich sacrifice bunt and the Nationals intentionally walked Stanton to load the bases.

McGehee delivered a go-ahead RBI single off the base of the left field wall after Aaron Barrett came in to relieve Blevins (2-2). Johnson doubled over right fielder Jayson Werth's head to drive in two more runs and Solano slapped a pinch-hit RBI single through the right side.

Adam LaRoche had an RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th for the Nats.

Both starters pitched five innings.

Miami's Henderson Alvarez, the scheduled starter for Tuesday's rainout, gave up five hits and no walks and struck out two, throwing just 62 pitches. He was taken out for precautionary reasons because of right elbow stiffness.

Jordan Zimmermann allowed four runs -- three earned -- on eight hits and one walk for the Nationals.

Ramos lined a 2-0 fastball from Marlins right-hander A.J. Ramos into the visitors bullpen behind left field to tie the score at 4-4 in the seventh.

The Nationals catcher picked off McGehee with a snap throw to first base to record the final out in the top of the eighth, stranding Stanton at second.

In the bottom of the inning, Mike Dunn walked McLouth and Scott Hairston and Denard Span singled to load the bases. But Dunn struck out Anthony Rendon and got Werth on an infield pop-up. LaRoche fouled off four straight pitches before he grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Marlins took a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning on RBI singles by Garrett Jones and Marcell Ozuna and a two-run hit by Adeiny Hechavarria, who was tagged out trying to take second base after Werth's throw got away.

McLouth knocked in two runs with a two-out bases-loaded double to right field off Chris Hatcher in the sixth. The Nationals pulled within 4-3 later in the inning when Span's bouncer backed up the first baseman Jones, who threw behind Dan Jennings as the pitcher rushed to cover the base.

"You can't ever take your foot off the gas pedal against these guys," McGehee said.

Game Notes

Kevin Slowey (1-0) pitched the ninth inning for the win ... It was the fourth four-hit game of McLouth's career ... The Marlins will start a three-game series against Atlanta at home on Friday ... The Nationals will continue a now eight-game homestand on Friday with the opener of a three-game set against Texas.