Joey Gallo slugged a three-run homer, and Patrick Corbin won his third straight start as the visiting Washington Nationals defeated the host Miami Marlins 6-2 on Tuesday night.
It was just the sixth homer of the year for Gallo, who has three seasons with at least 38 dingers.
Corbin (5-12) allowed seven hits, three walks and two runs in 5 2/3 innings. Over his past three games, he has a 1.53 ERA as he tries to avoid leading the National League in losses for the fourth straight season.
Washington’s Keibert Ruiz went 3-for-4 and fell a triple short of the cycle as the Nationals (62-76) improved to 8-0 against Miami (51-87) this season.
Ruiz and Jacob Young – Washington’s 8-9 hitters – went a combined 6-for-7 with three runs, two RBIs and one walk.
Max Meyer (3-5) took the loss, allowing nine hits – including two homers — one walk and five runs in 5 2/3 innings. He has allowed 14 dingers in 11 starts, including seven in his past four appearances.
Marlins right fielder Jesus Sanchez, who has 17 homers and 12 steals, left the game in the second inning due to a back spasm. He got hurt stealing second base.
Washington, which leads the National League in steals, got off to a rough start in that regard. In the first inning, rookie Dylan Crews got caught trying to swipe second.
The Nationals opened the scoring in third as Ruiz doubled and scored on Jacob Young’s single.
Miami threatened in the bottom of third, placing runners on the corners with two outs. However, Jonah Bride struck out looking on a sinker that appeared to be wide of the plate.
The Nationals stretched their lead to 4-0 in the fourth as Andres Chaparro doubled, James Wood walked, and Gallo went deep on a first-pitch fastball that he drilled 415 feet to center.
Miami cut its deficit to 4-1 in the fifth as Nick Fortes doubled and jogged home from third on Connor Norby’s two-bagger.
Both teams scored one run in the sixth. Ruiz golfed a homer on a low slider that he pulled to right. Miami countered with Cristian Pache’s opposite-field double off the wall in right-center, scoring David Hensley from first.
Washington made it 6-2 in the ninth on an RBI groundout by Chaparro.