Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Dan Uggla hit a pair of solo homers, including the game-winner in the eighth inning, as the streaking Florida Marlins rallied for a 5-4 win over the Washington Nationals, finishing off a three-game sweep at Nationals Park.
Jeremy Hermida went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer for the Marlins, who have won seven straight. Uggla finished 2-for-3, was hit by a pitch and scored three times, while Alfredo Amezaga went 1-for-4, stole a base and scored a run.
"These games in April and May are going to play a big part in September," Uggla said.
Logan Kensing (2-0) picked up the win with a scoreless inning in relief of Scott Olsen, who allowed four runs on six hits over six frames. Kevin Gregg notched his seventh save.
Aaron Boone went 3-for-4 with a homer, a triple and two runs batted in for the Nats, who have dropped five of six. Ronnie Belliard added a two-run shot, while Jesus Flores was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
Luis Ayala (1-3) surrendered three runs on three hits in the eighth and took the loss in relief of Shawn Hill, who held the Marlins to two runs on five hits in seven innings.
Down 4-2 in the top of the eighth, the Marlins used the home run to turn the tide against the Washington bullpen.
With Ayala on in relief of Hill, Amezaga led off by beating out an infield single. Hermida drilled the next pitch just over the wall in right for a game- tying homer.
Two outs later, Ayala left a fastball up in the zone that Uggla launched over the fence in right-center to put the Marlins on top 5-4.
"I think he likes hitting here," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He's had a pretty good series."
Belliard worked a leadoff walk against Renyel Pinto in the bottom of the eighth, but was cancelled out when Ryan Zimmerman grounded to short to start a double play. Boone then lofted a lazy fly to right to end the inning.
Gregg walked Lastings Milledge to start the ninth, but Willie Harris and Elijah Dukes both popped up before Gregg got Flores to tap out to the mound to end the game.
Uggla was hit by a pitch in the top of the second, moved to third on Luis Gonzalez's single and scored when Wes Helms golfed a sacrifice fly to center.
Boone led off the bottom of the inning with a game-tying home run just to the left of straightaway center.
Flores started off the home third with an infield single, and two outs later, Belliard crushed a 1-0 fastball from Olsen into the left field seats to give the Nats a 3-1 lead. Zimmerman followed by beating out a soft grounder to short for a single, then came all the way around to score when Boone crushed a fly ball over Amezaga's head in center for a triple.
Hill made easy work off the Marlins until the top of the sixth, when Uggla clubbed a long fly ball to center that just carried over the top of the wall for his 10th homer of the season.
"We didn't have it working early in the ball game, but that's the thing with this team, you never know," Uggla said. "We have a lot of guys with a lot of pop that can do a lot of good things."
Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Shawn Estes' impressive return to the mound was backed by a pair of RBI from Nick Hundley and Luis Rodriguez ... Full Story...
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