Washington Nationals drop series finale to Miami Marlins in extras, 3-1 final in D.C.

Erick Fedde and Nick Neidert gave up one run each, in five and six innings, respectively, in the series finale between Fedde’s Washington Nationals and Neidert’s Miami Marlins in the nation’s capital tonight, with each starter putting together a solid outing.

It was still tied at 1-1 after nine, so they put a free runner on second, ugh, and the Marlins pushed two runs across, 3-1 final in D.C. Fish avoid the sweep. Nats win the series.

Fedde vs the Marlins: Erick Fedde didn’t make it out of the second last time out, when he faced the Padres in what ended up a 24-8 loss in Nationals Park.

The outing left him winless in his last five outings, over which the 28-year-old right-hander had an 8.31 ERA, 15 walks, 17 Ks, and a .307/.408/.477 line against in 21 ²⁄₃ IP.

Fedde walked the first batter he faced in each of his two innings against the Padres, and he walked the bases loaded in the second before the Davey Martinez went to the bullpen.

“It’s got to be the walks,” he said when asked what went wrong. “Starting both innings off with that is not ideal. But I think it just kind of set the tone in the wrong way.

“Free bases are not a good way to start the game.”

This time out, Fedde started strong with three scoreless innings, which he completed on a total of 38 pitches, but Starlin Marte doubled to start the fourth, and Adam Duvall reached on an infield single, and Jesús Aguilar walked to load the bases in front of Joe Panik. Panik rolled into a 4-6-3 DP, but a run scored on the play, 1-0, before a groundout to first ended a 10-pitch frame.

It was 1-1 when Fedde came out and struck out the side in the fifth, collecting his first Ks of the game, and he worked around a two-out single in an 18-pitch frame that left him with 84 pitches overall on the night.

Erick Fedde’s Line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 Ks, 84 P, 52 S, 9/3 GO/FO.

Neidert vs the Nationals: Sandy Alcantara was supposed to start tonight’s game, but he was placed on the Bereavement List, so Marlins’ manager Don Mattingly went with right-hander Nick Neidert as the starter for tonight’s game.

Neidert, 24, took the mound with a 4.50 ERA, a 6.23 FIP, 13 walks, 13 Ks, and .267/.396/.440 line against in five games, four starts, and 20 IP on the season, and tossed three scoreless to start.

With a 1-0 lead after 3 1/2, the right-hander retook the mound and gave up a one-out walk to Josh Harrison, who scored one out later on an RBI double to right off of Andrew Stevenson’s bat. Stevenson’s 3rd double of the year tied things up at 1-1 after four.

Neidert hit Alcides Escobar with one out in the fifth inning, but dialed up his third double play of the night in the next at bat, getting Trea Turner to roll one out to second to start an inning- and outing-ending 4-6-3 DP.

Nick Neidert’s Line: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 Ks, 79 P, 46 S, 6/4 GO/FO.

J-Hay’s Run: Josh Harrison came into tonight’s game swinging it, 9 for 22 (.409 AVG) with five doubles, a triple, three RBIs, one walk, and five runs scored in his last five games, and the infielder/outfielder had hits in 9 of his last 11, posting a .409/.435/.727 line over that stretch. Harrison sent a fly to center in his first at bat, but walked in his second trip to the plate, and scored on an RBI double by Andrew Stevenson for the Nationals’ first run of the game.

Bullpen Action: Richard Bleier gave up an opposite field single by Juan Soto in the first at bat of the Nationals’ sixth, but Josh Bell grounded into the home team’s fourth double play of the game in the next at bat, and after a two-out hit by Josh Harrison (1 for 2, BB), Gerardo Parra K’d looking to end the inning.

Kyle Finnegan retired the Marlins in order in a 15-pitch top of the seventh. Still 1-1.

Anthony Bass retired the Nationals in order in an eight pitch bottom of the seventh. Still 1-1.

Daniel Hudson stranded a two-out single when he got Starling Marte looking for out No. 3 of a 22-pitch top of the eighth.

Righty Dylan Floro struck Alcides Escobar out to start the Nationals’ eighth, but Trea Turner lined a single to right in the next at bat, getting on in front of Juan Soto, who popped out.

Josh Bell stepped in with two out, and Turner stole second base, but Bell popped out to end the inning.

Brad Hand came on in the ninth trying to keep it tied at 1-1, and retired the Marlins in order in a 19-pitch frame.

Floro came back out for the bottom of the ninth and retired the side in order to send it to extras.

Marlins’ skipper Don Mattingly sent Lewis Brinson out to second to start the top of the 10th, with Hand back out on the mound for the Nationals.

Sandy León bunted Brinson over to get the go-ahead run 90 feet from home, and Jon Berti walked to put runners on the corners for pinch hitter Jorge Alfaro, who doubled to left, 2-1.

Miguel Rojas hit a sac fly to center to drive in the second run of the top of the 10th, 3-1.

Yimi Garcia got the bottom of the 10th for the Marlins, with a two-run lead, and with Andrew Stevenson on second to start the inning, and got three outs without a run scoring.

Final Score: 3-1 Marlins

Nationals now 45-50