Field Level Media
Jul 19, 2021
Jon Lester pitched seven shutout innings and hit one of Washington's six home runs and the Nationals beat the visiting Miami Marlins 18-1 Monday night.
Juan Soto continued his post-All Star game push with two home runs, a double and five RBIs, giving him five homers and 11 RBIs in four games.
In his longest outing of the season, Lester (3-4) allowed six hits while striking out a season-high seven batters without a walk.
Trea Turner, Josh Bell and Tres Barrera also homered for Washington.
Miguel Rojas had three hits for the Marlins, who have lost three straight and were without several regulars.
Miami starter Ross Detwiler (1-1) was lifted with no outs in the second after allowing eight runs on seven hits, four of them home runs.
The Nationals jumped on Detwiler for a four-run first. Alcides Escobar singled and Turner tripled into the left field corner. On a 1-0 pitch, Soto hit his 15th homer of the season, an opposite-field liner to left. Bell followed with a 446-foot shot to left to make it 4-0.
Rookie Barrera led off the second with his first career home run. After Lester singled and Escobar was hit by a pitch, Turner clubbed his 18th homer, a shot over the Marlins bullpen that ended Detwiler's night.
The deluge continued as Soto greeted David Hess with a double. Josh Harrison doubled Soto home and scored on a single by Gerardo Parra to give Washington a 10-0 lead.
In the fifth, Parra singled and, with two outs, Lester hit a 419-foot homer to straightaway center. It was his first of the season and fourth of his career. The homer gave him his fourth career multi-hit game.
Parra doubled in the seventh and scored on a single by pinch-hitter Yadiel Hernandez and Jordy Mercer singled home two runs in the seventh before Soto capped the inning with a three-run shot.
Before the game, Miami placed infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. (left shoulder contusion) and infielder/outfielder Garrett Cooper (left elbow strain) on the 10-day injured list Monday after the pair sustained injuries Sunday in Philadelphia.
--Field Level Media