Washington Nationals snap five-game losing streak with ridiculous 12-10 win over Miami Marlins...

The boys did. not. quit. Davey Martinez’s squad battled back over and over in the first of four with the Miami Marlins in Nationals Park, and Washington won it in the end with a three-run home run by Juan Soto in the bottom of the eighth the difference in a 12-10 win.

McGowin vs the Marlins: One of two pitchers (along with Austin Adams) who was acquired in the December 2016 trade that sent infielder Danny Espinosa to the LA Angels, righty Kyle McGowin made his MLB debut with the Nationals last September.

In eight starts at Triple-A Fresno this season, the right-hander had a 4.32 ERA, a 4.27 FIP, 12 walks (2.59 BB/9), and 50 Ks (10.80 K/9) in 41 ²⁄₃ innings pitched before he was called up to throw out of Washington’s bullpen earlier this month.

In his first start for the Nats this season, McGowin fell behind early when Brian Anderson hit a 2-1 sinker out to left field for a two-run blast with one on and one out in the top of the first inning, 2-0. Anderson’s 5th.

Back-to-back singles and a walk loaded the bases in the Marlins’ second, and a two-run hit to center by the opposing pitcher, Pablo López, put the Fish up 4-1 with no one out.

It was 4-4 when McGowin took the mound in the fourth and retired the first two batters he faced before falling behind 2-0 on Curtis Granderson and giving up a go-ahead home run, 5-4 Fish.

Kyle McGowin’s Line: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 Ks, 2 HRs, 80 P, 47 S, 7/2 GO/FO.

López vs the Nationals: Marlins’ right Pablo López, 23, has had an up and down May going into tonight’s matchup with the Nationals, tossing six scoreless at home against the Braves before giving up 10 hits and 10 runs in three innings on the road against the Mets. He then threw seven scoreless in which he gave up just one hit at home against New York in his last start before tonight.

López took the mound with a 2-0 lead, courtesy of a Brian Anderson blast in the top of the first, but gave up a one-out solo shot by Adam Eaton on a 2-1 fastball inside that went out to right field and over the out-of-town scoreboard in Nationals Park, 2-1 Fish. Eaton’s 5th.

López drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single in the second, 4-1, but Nationals’ starter Kyle McGowin got a bit of revenge in the third, singling to center for his first major league hit, taking third on a Trea Turner double, and scoring on an RBI groundout by Adam Eaton, 4-2 Fish. And 4-4 when Anthony Rendon hit a 2-2 two-seamer to left-center and out for a two-run blast that tied things up. Rendon’s 10th.

López got two outs in the fourth, but with a runner on third (Michael A. Taylor, who doubled and moved up on a groundout), Marlins’ skipper Don Mattlingly went to the pen for Wei-Yin Chen vs lefty Adam Eaton...

Pablo López’s Line: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 82 P, 50 S, 1 BB, 1 K, 5/2 GO/FO.

Soto is Streaking: Juan Soto started the opener with the Fish with a seven-game hit streak going, over which the 20-year-old slugger was 12 for 26 (.462 AVG) with five doubles, a triple, one home run, three walks, and four runs scored, and multi-hit efforts in four of the seven games, with the streak taking him from .228/.345/.415 to .268/.374/.490 after 40 games and 174 PAs in his sophomore season in the majors.

Soto grounded out in his first at bat of the night, but he got hold of a 2-2 changeup from Pablo López in the third and lined a single to right to extend the streak to eight-straight.

Soto got a couple more hits as the game went on...

BULLPEN ACTION: Wei-Yin Chen took over for Miami with a runner on third and two out in the bottom of the fourth, going up against Adam Eaton, and struck him out to end the Nats’ half of the inning. Still 5-4 Fish.

Joe Ross took over for the Nationals in the top of the fifth, hit the first batter he faced, and walked the second, then gave up an RBI double to right-center by Harold Ramirez, 6-4 Fish, and 8-4 after a two-run single by catcher Jorge Alfaro.

Chen came back out for the bottom of the fifth inning and gave up a run when Anthony Rendon doubled to start the frame, took third base on a single by Juan Soto, and then scored on a 4-6-3 DP off Matt Adams’ bat, 8-5 Fish.

Austin Brice took over for Chen and got the final out of the inning to keep it 8-5 Marlins.

Matt Grace worked around a two-out walk in a 14-pitch sixth.

Brice hit Victor Robles in the first at bat of the Nats’ sixth, and Yan Gomes singled to send Robles around to third with no one out. Howie Kendrick got a pinch hit opportunity but a swinging K sent him back to the dugout.

Trea Turner stepped in next and sent an 0-2 curve out to right for an RBI single that ended Brice’s outing, 8-6 Fish.

Adam Conley took over with runners on first and second and one out and went to a full count with Adam Eaton before Eaton popped out to center for out No. 2. A check-swing strike three on a 2-2 fastball up high got Anthony Rendon for out No. 3.

Tanner Rainey gave up a leadoff single after taking over on the mound in the seventh, then he hit a batter who should have been out if Brian Dozier hadn’t dropped a foul pop on the previous pitch. Rainey got a force at second on a grounder back to the mound, though he double-pumped on the play and slowed things down enough Jorge Alfaro was able to get down the line to avoid a double play, and with runners on first and third with one out, he threw a 1-2 slider by Miguel Rojas for out No. 2, leaving it up to Martin Prado to try to add to the Marlins’ lead, but he K’d chasing 98 MPH heat up high to end a 19-pitch frame. Still an 8-6 game.

Juan Soto and Brian Dozier took leadoff and one-out walks, respectively, in the the bottom of the seventh inning, with Conley still on the mound, and both runners scored on a Victor Robles double to left field, 8-8.

Nick Anderson came on for the Fish and stranded two runners to keep it tied and send it to the eighth.

Tony Sipp gave up a leadoff double by Curtis Granderson on a 1-1 slider. Kyle Barraclough took over on the mound and struck Garrett Cooper out for the first out of the frame. Brian Anderson singled to center in the next at bat, sending Granderson to third. Rosell Herrera popped out trying to bunt for out No. 2, and Starlin Castro ... lined out to ... through Trea Turner’s glove at short, 9-8 Fish.

Anderson came on for the bottom of the eighth, and issued back-to-back walks to Adam Eaton and Anthony Rendon (who walked more than he K’d in college).

Tayron Guerrero came on with two on and one out and Juan Soto at the plate, fell behind 3-1 and gave up a three-run blast to center on a 100 MPH heater. 11-9 Nats. Matt Adams went yard too, taking a 102 MPH 2-1 heater out to right, 12-9.

Sean Doolittle got the ninth for the Nats and gave up a leadoff home run by Jorge Alfaro, 12-10. Miguel Rojas singled in the next at bat, bringing the tying run to the plate in the form of Austin Dean, who lined out to a diving Victor Robles in center field for out No. 1. Curtis Granderson popped to center for out No. 2. Garrett Cooper? Single to center.

Brian Anderson stepped in with two on and two out and grounded out to second...

Ballgame. 12-10 Nationals.

Nationals now 20-31