Behind a power surge from rookie Agustín Ramírez and clutch hitting from Eric Wagaman, the Miami Marlins held off the Washington Nationals 11-9 on Friday night in a rain-soaked slugfest at Nationals Park. The loss was Washington’s sixth straight, while Miami improved to 3-1 against the Nats this season.
Ramírez, the 23-year-old catcher, hit a pair of home runs—his second multihomer game of the season—highlighting an offensive explosion that helped Miami survive a furious Washington comeback. His solo shot off Nationals starter Mitchell Parker (4-7) opened the scoring in the first inning, and his 10th homer of the season led off a four-run third inning that put the Marlins ahead 6-0.
Wagaman, recently called up, delivered a key RBI double during that third-inning rally, and Dane Myers followed with a two-run double as the Marlins seemed poised for a comfortable win.
But the game was anything but routine.
After a rain delay of 2 hours and 14 minutes in the fifth inning, Miami extended the lead to 8-2 on RBI singles by Nick Fortes and Xavier Edwards.
The Nationals roared back in the seventh. James Wood—who had already launched his 17th homer of the year earlier—lined a two-run double, and RBI singles from Nathaniel Lowe, Alex Call, and Keibert Ruiz brought Washington within 8-7. In all, the Nats scored five times in the inning against the Marlins bullpen.
The Marlins had an answer in the eighth. Wagaman drove in two more with a single to right, and Connor Norby added an RBI groundout to make it 11-7.
Washington refused to go quietly. A pair of ninth-inning runs cut the lead to 11-9, but Calvin Faucher finished it off, inducing groundouts from Robert Hassell III and CJ Abrams for his sixth save in nine opportunities.
Edwin Cabrera made a short start for the Marlins, allowing two runs across three innings. Tyler Phillips (1-0) picked up the win in relief, while Miami’s bullpen managed to bend without fully breaking through the late innings.
Parker was tagged for six runs on eight hits in just 3 1/3 innings. The Nationals’ bullpen didn’t fare much better—Jackson Rutledge gave up two runs after the delay, and Jose A. Ferrer was hit hard, surrendering three runs in one inning of work.
With two runners on and the game in the balance in the ninth, Faucher preserved the victory by retiring Hassell and Abrams on groundouts. The Marlins and Nationals continue to occupy the bottom of the National League in run differential. Miami’s -91 is second worst in the NL, trailed only by Washington’s -60.
The Marlins have yet to announce a starter for Saturday’s game. The Nationals will send veteran right-hander Trevor Williams (3-7, 5.91 ERA) to the mound as they try to halt their slide.
With their young core stepping up and offense clicking despite late-inning drama, the Marlins continue to show signs of life—especially when Agustín Ramírez swings the bat.
