Lopez’s homer caps six-run ninth as Marlins rally past Nationals, 6-2

The Marlins kept pressing Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park, wearing down Washington’s pitching with baserunners and aggressive at-bats until the late inning finally broke open. Their payoff was a six-run ninth that carried Miami to a 6-2 win, one that arrived after a series of swings that had not quite turned into scoring until the final frame.

The rally began with Esteury Ruiz, who pushed a bunt single into play to get the Marlins started in the ninth. From there, Washington’s margin for error narrowed quickly. Two walks followed, and the Nationals also allowed a hit batter, filling the bases and changing the leverage of every at-bat that came next.

Joe Mack then delivered a tying sacrifice fly, a hit that made the moment bigger without requiring a full restart of the at-bat. With the game flipped toward Miami, the sequence continued to snowball, with Washington’s defense and bullpen having to navigate traffic on the basepaths and the pressure that comes when one inning can erase a close contest.

Lopez’s homer later in the ninth served as the exclamation point. With the Marlins already in front by the time the ball left the yard, the blast turned a rally into separation, turning what could have been a comeback into a final margin. It also matched the feel of the day’s story, which was that Miami had been getting opportunities and finally converted them in the only inning that mattered most.

The final score reflected both the dramatic late inning and the underlying effectiveness that got the Marlins to the ninth with enough to work with. Washington’s pitching kept the game manageable for most of the day, but once Miami put runners on and increased pitch counts, the Nationals ran out of clean outs.

The win gives Miami a measure of momentum built on late-inning execution, especially in situations that reward patience and situational hitting. For Washington, the loss is a reminder that once the basepaths become crowded, even routine outs can turn costly in a single inning.