Washington Nationals’ lineup for series opener with the Miami Marlins in D.C.

After being outscored 4-1 in the first six innings of Sunday’s series finale with the Cubs in Chicago, the Washington Nationals scored eight runs over the last three innings in a 9-4 win in Wrigley Field.

It’s something Dusty Baker has focused on and talked about at times over his two seasons in D.C., winning those late innings.

“You always try to win that seventh, eighth, and ninth,” Baker explained, “... it doesn’t always happen, and we did it against a pretty good bullpen. Boy, we got some key hits, made some plays, and we scored some runs.”

It all started with an infield single by Bryce Harper in the eighth. Cubs’ skipper Joe Maddon went to the bullpen, replacing Mike Montgomery with Carl Edwards, Jr., who gave up a double to center by Ryan Zimmerman and an intentional walk to Daniel Murphy that loaded the bases in front of Anthony Rendon.

Edwards, Jr. hit Rendon to force in the tying run, 4-4, then gave up a grand slam on a first-pitch curve to Matt Wieters, 8-4.

The previous inning, when the Nationals scored two, Murphy and Rendon hit back-to-back doubles and Wieters hit a sac fly that made it 4-3.

Baker talked after the game about the depth of the Nationals’ lineup and the way he has things lined up... [ed. note - “No, we’re not getting into the whole Rendon in the two-spot thing again.”]

“That’s why you like Rendon hitting behind Murphy, because you know most of the time he’s not going to hit into a double play, hits the ball the other way, he’ll get two-out RBIs, and then you’ve got Wieters, switch-hitter behind him, and whoever they bring in, he can hit on that side, so yeah, that was big,” Baker said.

“[Wilmer] Difo had a good game. [Ryan Zimmerman] came through when we needed him in the clutch, and it was all started by Harp’s infield hit, which has plagued us this whole series. Most of the time they got them, the infield hits, a couple bloops and a blast.

“That was a good game to win for us, to win the series, and to win the yearly series, so who knows that could maybe come up big.”

Washington took four of seven from Chicago on the season after taking two of three in Wrigley.

Up next, four with the Miami Marlins starting tonight in the nation’s capital, weather permitting...

HERE’S THE NATS’ LINEUP FOR THE SERIES OPENER WITH THE MARLINS: