Wes Helms singles in winning run in 9th and Marlins beat Nationals 6-5
Associated Press | Apr 19, 08 9:54 PM CDT in
Sports
Wes Helms singled in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth and the Florida Marlins beat the Washington Nationals 6-5 on Saturday night.
Helms' one-out grounder up the middle off reliever Saul Rivera (1-1) scored Dan Uggla from second, ending the Marlins' two-game losing streak.
Mike Jacobs and Jorge Cantu had three hits each for Florida. Josh Willingham had two hits, including a triple, and scored twice.
Felipe Lopez went 2-for-4 and was the only Washington hitter with more than one hit. The Nationals came in to the game hitting .223, lowest in baseball.
Behind 5-3, the Nationals tied the game with two runs in the ninth off reliever Kevin Gregg (2-0). With runners on first and second and two out, a passed ball by catcher Mike Rabelo allowed the runners to advance. Austin Kearns then poked a two-run single to right.
It was Gregg's first blown save of the year.
Washington starter Shawn Hill threw five-plus innings in his season debut, yielding four runs and eight hits with six strikeouts in his first start of the season. Hill had hoped to be Washington's opening day starter, but went on the disabled list during spring training with a bothersome right forearm.
Trailing 3-1, the Marlins took their first lead of the game during a three-run sixth inning. Josh Willingham led off with a triple and scored on Mike Jacobs' single. Jacobs later scored on a sacrifice fly by Cody Ross. Jorge Cantu doubled, was sacrificed to third, and scored on an error by second baseman Felipe Lopez.
Florida added a run in the seventh on Jacobs' RBI double to make it 5-3.
Florida starter Burke Badenhop pitched three innings, allowing three runs and four hits in his second career start.
The Nationals took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Nick Johnson's groundout. Wily Mo Pena and Johnny Estrada had RBI singles in the third to make it 3-0.
Florida made it 3-1 in the third when Uggla's double to right-center scored Hanley Ramirez, who reached base safely for the 42nd straight game.
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