Marlins hit 3 straight homers and hold Nationals hitless until 6th inning of 7-3 victory

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Mack, Heriberto Hernández and Otto Lopez hit successive home runs in the fifth inning to power the Miami Marlins past the Washington Nationals 7-3 on Tuesday night.

Hernández added a two-run shot in the ninth for the Marlins, who didn't give up a hit until Drew Millas singled leading off the sixth against Ryan Gusto, the third Miami pitcher.

Luis García Jr. had an RBI groundout later in the inning and Washington scored twice in the seventh to cut it to 4-3. But the Marlins tacked on three insurance runs in the ninth when Mack drove in his third run of the night with a sacrifice bunt and Hernández connected off Mitchell Parker for his third home run in two games.

Mack's two-run shot to center field off Miles Mikolas (1-5) in the fifth was the first home run of his career. Hernández went deep four pitches later, and Lopez followed with a longball of his own.

It was the third time in Marlins history they hit back-to-back-to-back home runs and the first since August 2023 in a 5-1 win over the Astros.

Mikolas was charged with six runs and six hits in six innings after Nationals opener Richard Lovelady worked two hitless innings.

Lake Bachar pitched the first 2 2/3 innings for Miami, striking out three and walking one. John King (2-1) followed and retired all five batters he faced.

Gusto, called up from Triple-A earlier in the day, fanned the final two hitters in the fifth but ultimately was charged with three runs and five hits in two innings.

Millas, the Nationals' catcher, exited with a cut on his upper lip after sliding headfirst into third base in the sixth.

Marlins RHP Max Meyer (5-0, 2.97 ERA) faces LHP Andrew Alvarez (1-0, 4.02) in the series finale Wednesday afternoon.

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