The Sports Xchange
Aug 29, 2017
WASHINGTON -- Edwin Jackson continued his 2017 renaissance, allowing just two earned runs against his former team, and Daniel Murphy was 2-for-3 with two RBIs as the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 8-3 Tuesday despite a 51st homer by Giancarlo Stanton.
Jackson (5-3), in his eighth start for Washington this year, defeated the Marlins for just the second time in his career and first time since 2010. He went six innings plus four batters and allowed six hits and three runs (two earned) with four walks and five strikeouts.
The loser was Miami starter Vance Worley (2-4), who was in spring training with the Nationals. Worley gave up nine hits and five runs with three walks and two strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.
Jackson, now with his 12th team, began the 2016 season with the Marlins and entered Tuesday with a 5.87 ERA against Miami in his career.
Brandon Kintzler pitched a scoreless eighth and closer Sean Doolittle went the ninth in a non-save situation for Washington.
Matt Wieters and Anthony Rendon collected two hits apiece for the first-place Nationals (80-51), who were 6-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
Dee Gordon had two hits for Miami.
The Marlins (66-65) trimmed their deficit to 5-3 in the seventh as Miguel Rojas scored on a throwing error by Jackson on Gordon's bunt. However, lefty specialist Oliver Perez got a force at home with the bases loaded for the first out. Reliever Matt Albers retired Marcell Ozuna (strikeout) and J.T. Realmuto (groundout) with the bases full to evade more damage.
Rendon had a three-run double in the seventh off Junichi Tazawa to make it 8-3.
Stanton hit his 51st homer in the first, launching a 1-1 pitch from former teammate Jackson over the Marlins bullpen in left to make it 1-0.
It was the 18th homer this month for Stanton, who tied Rudy York of the 1937 Detroit Tigers for the most homers in August. Stanton hit his 40th homer since moving to the No. 2 spot in the order.
The Marlins left the bases loaded in the first as Washington shortstop Trea Turner, who just came off the disabled list, made a diving catch on a soft liner by Tomas Telis to end the threat.
Washington took a 2-1 lead in the third on a two-run, two-out single to center by Murphy. That scored Wilmer Difo, who led off with a double, and Jackson, who singled.
Rendon had an RBI single in the fourth to give the Nationals a 3-1 lead.
Stanton hit a long sacrifice fly to center in the fifth to trim the margin to 3-2. His sac fly scored Gordon, who singled, stole his 47th base and went to third on a wild pitch by Jackson.
But the Nationals responded with two runs in the fifth to make it 5-2. Turner doubled and scored on a throwing error, and Ryan Zimmerman had an RBI single to chase Worley.
The start of the game was delayed 26 minutes by rain.
NOTES: Nationals SS Trea Turner (1-for-4), who had been on the disabled list since June 29 with a right wrist fracture, started and led off. To make room for him, INF Adrian Sanchez was sent to Triple-A Syracuse and OF Ryan Raburn (left trap strain) was moved to the 60-day disabled list. ... Marlins LHP Adam Conley (6-5, 5.17) will face Nationals RHP Stephen Strasburg (10-4, 3.10) in the series finale Wednesday. ... Miami 1B Justin Bour, on the disabled list since July 25, said Tuesday he came out of on-field batting practice in "fantastic" shape Monday and hopes to soon begin a minor league rehab assignment.