MIAMI (AP) — Braxton Garrett pitched six effective innings in his first major league start in a month, and the Miami Marlins beat the Washington Nationals 5-2 on Friday night.
Garrett allowed one run — Lane Thomas’ leadoff homer in the first — and five hits. The left-hander struck out six and walked none.
Garrett (3-6) was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville earlier in the day. It was his first appearance with Miami since he threw six scoreless innings against Atlanta on Aug. 14.
Garrett Cooper and Jon Berti each doubled and singled for the Marlins. Berti also stole his NL-leading 37th base.
Nationals starter Josiah Gray plunked Bryan De La Cruz with the bases loaded, snapping a 1-1 tie in the sixth. Charles Leblanc followed with an RBI single, and Miguel Rojas grounded into a double play that scored JJ Bleday from third.
Bleday’s sacrifice fly in the seventh padded Miami's lead, but Washington got one back on Joey Meneses’ run-scoring double in the eighth.
Dylan Floro handled the ninth for his sixth save.
Gray (7-10) gave up four runs and eight hits in six innings. He remains winless since July 6.
Thomas drove Garrett's second pitch over the wall in left for his 17th homer.
Miami answered in the bottom half on Cooper’s RBI double. Gray avoided additional trouble by striking out Nick Fortes and Bleday and retiring De La Cruz on a groundout.
PROSPECTS RECOGNIZED
The Marlins honored infielder Yiddi Cappe and right-hander Eury Pérez with their minor league player and pitcher of the year awards. The 20-year-old Cappe hit .290 with nine homers and 40 RBIs at Single-A Jupiter. The 19-year-old Pérez struck out 110 in 77 innings at Double-A Pensacola.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: LHP Patrick Corbin (back spasms) threw from 90 feet. Corbin exited after 12 pitches and didn’t complete the first inning in his last start at Atlanta on Tuesday. ... LHP MacKenzie Gore (left elbow inflammation) will have his second rehab start with Triple-A Rochester on Monday.
Marlins: Placed INF Joey Wendle (left hamstring tendinitis) on the 10-day injured list. ... LHP Trevor Rogers (left lat strain) was placed on the 15-day IL.
UP NEXT
Erik Fedde (6-10, 5.29 ERA) will start the second game of the series for the Nationals on Saturday. The Marlins will go with Sandy Alcantara (13-8, 2.37 ERA), one of the leading contenders for the NL Cy Young Award.
