Josh Willingham homered in the eighth inning and the Washington Nationals beat the struggling Florida Marlins 3-2 on Sunday, giving reliever Tyler Clippard his sixth win of the season.
Willingham hit a 1-1 changeup from Clay Hensley (1-1) into the left-field bullpen for his sixth homer, after Florida’s Jorge Cantu had tied the game in the top of the inning with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly.
Clippard (6-0) has two more relief victories than any Washington starter. He entered the game in the eighth inning and allowed only Cantu’s sacrifice while escaping a bases-loaded, no-out jam. Matt Capps got the final three outs for his major league-leading 13th save.
The Nationals won for the fourth time in six games and secured their sixth series victory, something they didn’t accomplish last season until July 22.
Hanley Ramirez homered for the Marlins, who have lost five of six.
The Nationals took a 1-0 lead in the first when Nyjer Morgan walked, went to third on Adam Kennedy’s hit-and-run single, and scored on Ryan Zimmerman’s double-play grounder.
Marlins starter Anibel Sanchez’s wildness helped Washington make it 2-0 in the third. Kennedy drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Adam Dunn’s opposite-field single to left.
Ramirez homered to lead off the sixth, sending a 1-1 pitch into the first row of the right-field stands. It was his third home run in 19 career at-bats against Livan Hernandez.
Sanchez lasted 4 1-3 innings, giving up two runs on six hits, while Hernandez pitched seven innings of one-run ball. He allowed five hits, walked one and struck out three as his surprising ERA rose from 0.99 to 1.04.
NOTES » Before the game, the Nationals designated LHP Matt Chico for optional assignment and purchased the contract of LHP Doug Slaten from Triple-A Syracuse. The procedural move permits Washington to retain its rights to Chico, who will be assigned to Double-A Harrisburg and remains on the 40-man roster. … Florida LHP Dan Meyer, who has been on the 15-day DL since April 26 with a strained left calf is expected to be activated Monday. … The Marlins are the only team in the majors without a home run from a left-handed hitter. … Nationals RHP Jason Marquis, on the 15-day DL with a right elbow problem, will begin a minor league rehab assignment with Class-A Potomac on Tuesday.
