Javier Sanoja grounded a bases-loaded single past a drawn-in infield in the bottom of the ninth, giving the host Miami Marlins a 3-2 walk-off win over the Washington Nationals on Friday night.
Reliever Clayton Beeter (5-4) took the loss, in large part due to his throwing error in the ninth.
Agustin Ramirez drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the ninth to start the winning rally. Then, on a bunt by Esteury Ruiz, Beeter threw wildly to first, and that led to Sanoja’s winning hit.
Before Sanoja’s heroics, Washington was down to its final strike in the top of the ninth when Daylen Lile tied the score with an RBI single.
Keibert Ruiz provided Washington’s early offense with a home run in the sixth.
Neither starting pitcher — Washington’s Brad Lord or Miami’s Ryan Gusto — earned a decision as both of them pitched scoreless baseball but failed to last longer than four innings.
The second inning was a study in contrast. In the top of the frame, Ruiz singled and then two Nationals players hit balls at least 101 mph, including a 399-foot drive by Jacob Young that was caught on the center-field warning track.
Meanwhile, in the bottom of the second, Miami was retired in the order on just six pitches.
The Nationals finally opened the scoring in the sixth on Ruiz’s 388-foot solo homer to right off of reliever Tyler Zuber.
In the bottom of the sixth, Jakob Marsee drew a leadoff walk. Then, with one out, right fielder Dylan Crews likely saved a run by racing back and catching a long drive by Griffin Conine. Crews jumped up and hit the wall as he made the play.
Later in the inning, Will Dion was replaced after walking Xavier Edwards. But fellow reliever Orlando Ribalta entered the game and ended the inning on one pitch, getting Otto Lopez on a fly out. Ribalta, who played his high school and college ball in Miami, also pitched a scoreless seventh.
However, Marsee tripled down the right-field line to start an eighth-inning rally, and Sanoja tied the score with an RBI single past a drawn-in infield. Washington then brought in reliever Clayton Beeter, and Lopez beat him on a 1-2 slider in the middle of the zone, giving Miami a 2-1 lead.
In the ninth, Young singled, stole second and scored on Lile’s hit to left, ending an eight-pitch battle with closer Pete Fairbanks.
