Nats' Turner hits walk-off double to beat Marlins

Trea Turner hit an RBI double with two outs in the last of the ninth off losing pitcher Jose Quijada on Tuesday as the host Washington Nationals, who failed to protect a late 2-1 lead, defeated the Miami Marlins 3-2. The winning pitcher was Sean Doolittle (5-2), who pitched a scoreless top of the ninth. Quijada fell to 0-2 as the Nationals won for the sixth time in seven games.

Yan Gomes reached on an error by third baseman Neil Walker with one out in the ninth, and he scored the winning run when Turner laced a full-count pitch into the gap in right-centre. Washington starter Patrick Corbin, pitching one day after the death of good friend and former teammate Tyler Skaggs, stayed in the game after a 76-minute rain delay in the third inning and allowed just one run in seven innings.

Corbin and Skaggs were both drafted by the Angels in 2009 and traded the next year to Arizona. Corbin wore No. 45 instead of his normal No. 46 to honour his late friend. Corbin gave up six hits and struck out seven with no walks. It was his third start in a row in which he allowed just one run in seven innings with at least seven strikeouts.

Wander Suero took over in the eighth and allowed a leadoff double to Cesar Puello, who moved to third on an infield grounder and scored on a sacrifice fly by Miguel Rojas (3-for-3) to tie the game at 2-2. Corbin gave up an RBI single to Garrett Cooper in the top of the first as the Marlins took a 1-0 lead.

The Nationals grabbed the lead in the bottom of the first when Juan Soto smashed his 15th home run of the season, a two-run shot. The Marlins starter, right-hander Zac Gallen, gave up two runs in two innings and did not return after the rain delay. He allowed three hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Washington has hit a homer in 16 straight games to set a franchise record.