WASHINGTON (AP) - Jeremy Hermida hit a three-run homer in the 11th inning after tying it with a two-run shot in the ninth, and the Florida Marlins beat the Washington Nationals 9-6 Saturday for their sixth straight win.
Hermida, whose two-run homer tied it at 6 with two outs in the ninth, hit a 1-2 pitch from Wil Ledezma into the right-center field stands for the lead.
The Marlins improved to a big league-best 10-1. The Nationals have the worst record at 1-9.
Kiko Calero (1-0), Florida’s fifth pitcher, worked 1 1-3 scoreless innings for the win.
Ross Gload led off the 11th with a walk off Julian Tavarez (0-1). He advanced to second on a wild pitch. Wes Helms reached on an error by shortstop Alberto Gonzalez.
Ledezma relieved Tavarez, and Hermida slammed a 1-2 pitch for his third home run of the year. His five RBIs were a career high.
The Nationals took an early 5-0 lead in the first inning, capped by Austin Kearns’ grand slam off Josh Johnson.
It was Kearns’ second career grand slam _ both against the Marlins _ and his first since May 22, 2002.
Ryan Zimmerman also had an RBI single in the first inning.
Ronny Paulino’s two-run home run to center field off Scott Olsen in the second cut Washington’s lead to 5-2.
Nick Johnson’s RBI single in the second gave the Nationals a 6-2 lead.
In the fifth, the Marlins scored a run with two outs when Jorge Cantu’s pop fly to first hit off the heel of Nick Johnson’s glove for an error allowing Hermida to cross the plate.
Olsen pitched seven innings, allowing three runs _ one unearned _ and six hits. He walked one and struck out five. It was his second start against the Marlins, who traded him to the Nationals last winter.
In the ninth inning, Joel Hanrahan blew his second save opportunity in two nights. He allowed a one-out RBI single to Gload, and after Helms struck out, Hermida drove a two-run home into the right-center field stands to tie the score at 6.
Josh Johnson, who was last week’s NL Player of the Week with a 2-0 and a 0.57 ERA, allowed six runs and six hits in six innings.
Notes:@ Nationals CF Roger Bernadina left the game with a sprained right ankle in the eighth inning. He was replaced by Elijah Dukes, who was scratched from the starting lineup after arriving late. … Washington purchased the contract of INF Alex Cintron from Triple-A Syracuse. Cintron pinch hit and struck out. … Florida has homered in six of 11 games. They’re 4-1 in games they don’t homer. … Nationals manager Manny Acta believes a possible new contract for Zimmerman is a positive development. “It will mean a lot for the kid, our franchise and the fans. Whenever it happens, it’s going to be worth it because this guy means a lot to this ballclub,” Acta said. “He deserves it.”
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