WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Nationals starter Patrick Corbin has been working on his delivery.
On Saturday, the left-hander delivered for the Nationals.
Corbin ended his 10-game losing streak, pitching seven solid innings and leading the Nationals over the Miami Marlins 7-2.
Josh Bell hit a bases-loaded double and drove in four runs, Yan Gomes had a two-run homer and Josh Harrison had three hits as Washington won its third in a row.
Corbin (1-3), who opened the season on the COVID-19 injured list, began the afternoon with a 10.47 ERA in four starts. He limited the Marlins to two runs and four hits, striking out four and walking four.
“Hitters struggle. So do pitchers," manager Dave Martinez said. "They get in this little funk, and they’ve got to work some things out. You saw today that Patrick came out there and was really good.”
The 31-year-old Corbin posted his first win since last August. A two-time All-Star with Arizona, he signed a $140 million, six-year deal with the Nationals before the 2019 season and was a key member of their staff as they went on to win the World Series.
“The way I was pushing off before I just thought wasn’t the most ideal way. Kind of standing up tall is what I thought," Corbin said.
“That was just one thing I was really focusing on leading up to this start and trying to get back to what I was doing in 2019,” he said.
The Nationals helped Corbin by turning three double plays, and he exited with an 8.10 ERA.
Jesús Aguilar hit a solo home run for Miami, his sixth shot over his last eight games. The Marlins have lost eight of 12.
“I think in general I think the offense is not really catching a groove,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “We don't seem to be able to sustain anything. We have a couple of days where we swing the bats good and then it seems like we get off track. I think we're capable, but we've just got to get more consistent."
Paul Campbell (0-2), making his first major league start after four relief appearances, allowed four earned runs and nine hits in 3 2/3 innings.
The Nationals broke it open with a five-run fourth.
After Andrew Stevenson singled and Gomes homered, Trea Turner singled with one out. Former Nationals pitcher Ross Detwiler relieved Campbell and walked two to load the bases.
Bell, who had an RBI single in the first, lined an 0-2 fastball the opposite way to right, scoring three runs.
Harrison had a double and two singles and has reached base in 14 of the 16 games he's played.
NOT SO MUCH FUN IN THE SUN
The afternoon sun bedeviled right fielders, especially in the seventh inning. In the top half, Yadiel Hernandez lost Chad Wallach's fly ball, which hit off the wall for a double. Then Miami's Garrett Cooper couldn't find Starlin Castro's fly, which bounced into the Nationals bullpen for a ground-rule double.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: OF Corey Dickerson grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth, his first appearance since leaving Wednesday's game in Milwaukee due to right groin discomfort.
Nationals: RHP Stephen Strasburg (right shoulder) threw off the bullpen mound for the first time since going on the injured list. … OF Juan Soto (left shoulder), accompanied by two team trainers, threw in the outfield before the game.
UP NEXT
Marlins: Rookie LHP Trevor Rogers (3-1) finished April with a 1.29 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 28 innings. He faces Washington for the first time.
Nationals: RHP Max Scherzer (1-2) is 13-5 with a 3.11 ERA in 24 career starts against the Marlins. He allowed seven runs (five earned) over five innings in a loss to the Blue Jays last time out.
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