Monday, September 4, 2017 07:10 PM (ET)

Rendon, Murphy power Nationals to rout of Marlins

The Sports Xchange
Sep 4, 2017

MIAMI -- Anthony Rendon had a home run and four RBIs, and Daniel Murphy homered and drove in three runs to lead the Washington Nationals to a 7-2 win over the Miami Marlins on Monday night at Marlins Park.

Washington's power show overshadowed Miami's Giancarlo Stanton, who hit his major-league-leading 53rd homer, a solo shot to right field in the fifth inning. The ball was hit so hard that it dented a television camera situated in the bleachers.

Stanton collected his 112th RBI of the season to overtake Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies for the National League lead. Stanton had been just 2-for-26 before hitting that homer, and his past three hits were all been long balls.

Rendon, who has 23 homers and 90 RBIs, and Murphy (21 homers, 87 RBIs) helped the Nationals (83-54) get back on track after an uncharacteristically poor weekend in which they lost three of four games against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Marlins (67-70) have lost seven of their past eight games and trail the Rockies by six games in the race for the final NL wild-card playoff berth. The Brewers, who are 1 1/2 games back of Colorado, and the St. Louis Cardinals, who are three out, are also ahead of Miami.

Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon went 1-for-4 and had his seven-game multi-hit streak snapped. He fell one short of the franchise record set in 2009 by Chris Coghlan.

Miami, which also trails Washington by 16 games in the National League East, did not get a good start from Adam Conley, who lasted just four innings. He allowed four hits, two walks and three runs.

Washington right-hander A.J. Cole (2-4), who was called up from Triple-A Syracuse to make the start, earned the win. His team, whether it was Washington or Syracuse, had lost his past six starts before Monday.

Cole, who gave up just two runs (one earned) in 5 2/3 innings, got off to a shaky start in the first inning. Gordon hit an infield single, stole second and advanced on catcher Matt Wieters' throwing error. Gordon scored on Christian Yelich's RBI groundout.

Rendon's second-inning homer gave Washington a 2-1 lead, and Murphy (third inning) and Stanton (fifth) traded solo shots.

Two-run doubles by Murphy and Rendon in the seventh gave Washington a 7-2 lead.

In the eighth, Marlins left-hander Wei-Yin Chen made his first career relief appearances after 144 starts. Chen, who hadn't pitched since May 1 due to elbow issues, tossed a scoreless inning.

NOTES: Miami's Ichiro Suzuki got his 24th pinch-hit of the season in the seventh. He is tied for fourth in major league history in single-season pinch hits. ... Nationals C Raudy Read got his first major league hit in the seventh inning on a comebacker off the pitcher's glove. ... Washington placed RHP Erick Fedde (forearm) on the 10-day disabled list. ... Washington recalled C Pedro Severino from Triple-A Syracuse. ... Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton, named NL Player of the Month for August, also won that award in 2012 and 2015. ... Nationals RHP Stephen Strasburg (11-4, 2.90 ERA) starts against Miami on Tuesday against RHP Odrisamer Despaigne (0-2, 4.13 ERA).
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