Nathaniel Lowe comes off bench to power Nationals past Marlins

Nathaniel Lowe, who was scratched from the start due to an illness, entered the game in the eighth inning, slugging a pinch-hit, three-run, go-ahead double to give the visiting Washington Nationals a 7-4 win over the Miami Marlins on Friday night.

Washington continued its winning ways against Miami after the Nationals went 11-2 against the Marlins last year.

Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams, a 2024 All-Star, left the game in the fourth inning due to an unspecified injury. He has been dealing with thigh tightness over the past week.

Josh Bell, who started at first base in place of Lowe, slugged a two-run homer against his former team.

James Wood hit a solo homer for the Nationals.

Washington won despite some sloppy fielding, including three errors.

Miami's Edward Cabrera, who made his 2025 MLB debut, left with the lead but got a no-decision. In 5 2/3 innings, Cabrera allowed four hits, three walks and two runs after missing the start of the season due to a finger blister.

Miami's offense was led by Kyle Stowers, who went 2-for-5 including a two-run double and a triple. Two of his outs were hit hard (99-mph groundout and 109-mph liner).

Nationals starter Mitchell Parker escaped with a no-decision, allowing five hits, two walks and four runs, three earned.

Miami opened the scoring in the fifth inning. Liam Hicks was hit by a pitch, and the Marlins loaded the bases by bunting twice in the direction of Parker. Xavier Edwards then grounded a two-run single to center, and, one out later, Stowers pulled his two-run double down the right-field line.

Washington got on the board in the sixth as Keibert Ruiz singled, and Bell drilled his two-run homer, hitting a first-pitch curve. The exit velocity on that hit was 102.1 mph.

The Nationals took the lead in the eighth. Ruiz walked and Luis Garcia Jr. singled to chase reliever Anthony Veneziano. Anthony Bender then issued a one-out walk to Alex Call before Lowe was summoned to pinch hit for Paul DeJong.

Lowe and Bender then battled for 10 pitches, including six foul balls. Finally, on a 2-2 sinker at 98 mph, Lowe stroked an opposite-field double that kissed the chalk in left.

In the bottom of the eighth, Miami had runners on the corners with two outs. However, Jose A. Ferrer struck out Edwards on a 2-2 changeup.

Wood smoked his 111-mph, opposite-field homer in the ninth to make it 6-4. The ball traveled 400 feet to left-center, and Call followed with an RBI double.

Kyle Finnegan got the final three outs in the bottom of the ninth, earning his fifth save of the season.

--Field Level Media