Washington Nationals drop second straight to Miami Marlins, 9-3: Max Scherzer struggles in South Florida...

Miami’s Marlins came into this series with losses in four straight, nine of 10, and 14 of 19 on the season, but they beat the Washington Nationals in each of the first two games and will have a chance to sweep the series in tomorrow’s finale after a 9-3 win tonight.

It was an off night for Max Scherzer, who gave up 11 hits and seven runs (six earned) in 5 ¹⁄₃ innings pitched...

Scherzer in Miami: Max Scherzer gave up three runs in the first three innings of his last outing before tonight’s, but he wrapped up that start against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Nationals Park with five scoreless frames in what ended up a 4-3 loss in which he received no decision.

That outing left Scherzer, the runner-up to the 2018 NL Cy Young award, with a 3.33 ERA, five walks, 15 Ks, and a .238/.287/.376 line against in four starts and 27 IP thus far in 2019.

Start No. 5 for the 34-year-old righty began with a single by Curtis Granderson, and a one-out RBI double by Brian Anderson, who bounced a hanging curve off the left field fence to drive in a run and make it 1-0 Marlins early.

Anderson scored one out later when Starlin Castro hit a first-pitch slider to left-center for an RBI single, 2-0.

Castro hit a full-count slider through the left side with two out in the third as well, driving in a go-ahead run after the Nationals tied it up in the top of the inning, 3-2.

It was tied at three after four and half, but Scherzer gave it back when Curtis Granderson hit a 96 MPH 2-2 fastball out to right field for a solo shot that put the Fish back on top, 4-3.

Scherzer was up to 92 pitches after five, but he hit in the top of the sixth, with a runner on and two out, then came back to the mound in the bottom of the inning and gave up a one-out double by Miguel Rojas and a long fly to center field by Isaac Galloway that Victor Robles tracked but missed as he leapt at the wall. Rojas was only able to take third base on the misplay, but he and Galloway scored on a swinging bunt by pinch hitter Rosell Herrera in the next at bat, when Scherzer tried to make a tough play at the plate and tossed it by catcher Yan Gomes, 6-3. That was it for Max...

Max Scherzer’s Line: 5.1 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 0 BB, 9 Ks, 1 HR, 108 P, 77 S, 3/2 GO/FO.

Ureña vs Washington: Jose Ureña gave up 24 hits, five walks, and 15 runs, 14 earned, in 13 ²⁄₃ IP in his first three starts this season, all losses, (0-3), but he bounced back with seven strong on the mound against the Philadelphia Phillies last time out before tonight, giving up seven hits and one run in a 3-1 loss in which he received no decision.

Ureña tossed two scoreless to start as the Marlins jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but a double by Victor Robles, hit-by-pitch on Anthony Rendon, and a wild pitch set Juan Soto up with two runners in scoring position and one out in the third.

The 20-year-old outfielder chased a running changeup outside for out No. 2, leaving it up to Matt Adams, who went with a 1-1 change outside from Ureña, beating the shift for a two-run single to left field that tied things up, 2-2.

It was 3-2 Marlins in the fifth when Victor Robles bunted his way on, moved up on a ground ball out, and scored on an RBI single by Howie Kendrick, 3-3.

Ureña was lifted for a pinch hitter with runners on second and third and one out in the sixth, when the Marlins had an opportunity to deliver a big blow... which they did.

Jose Ureña’s Line: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 Ks, 80 P, 55 S, 8/1 GO/FO.

Rendon is Streaking: Anthony Rendon doubled in the sixth inning last night to extend his hit streak to 17-straight games, over which the 28-year-old third baseman has gone 26 for 65 (.400/.474/.831) with 10 doubles, six home runs, nine walks, and 14 Ks.

Unfortunately for Rendon, a 95 MPH fastball which hit his left elbow in his second at bat in the top of the third, brought an end to the streak when it knocked Rendon out of the game.

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BULLPEN ACTION: Tony Sipp finished off the sixth for the Nationals, after the Marlins were able to add a run when Victor Robles tracked a Curtis Granderson fly to center to the track and made the catch but crashed into the wall, hard, head/right shoulder first, and took a moment to recover, allowing Rosell Herrera to score from second on the sac fly, 7-3.

Adam Conley tossed a scoreless top of the seventh, working around a one-out double by Adam Eaton.

Austin Adams gave up a leadoff walk to Brian Anderson in the Marlins’ seventh, and threw a wild pitch that moved the runner into scoring position, then hit Fish backstop Jorge Alfaro, and threw his second wild pitch of the inning with Anderson on third to allow the Marlins’ eighth run of the game to come in, 8-3.

Tyler Kinley worked around a two-out single by Yan Gomes for a scoreless eighth.

Matt Grace gave up a run in the bottom of the eighth, 9-3, and Tayron Guerrero closed it out with a scoreless top of the ninth, working around back-to-back, two-out walks to end it...

Nationals now 9-10