Two Jesus Sanchez home runs and a third from Bryan De La Cruz lead Marlins past Nationals

The Miami Marlins’ series finale against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday, a back-and-forth game that ended in an 8-6 Marlins win at Nationals Park, was yet another showcase of two budding outfielders attempting to show they can be critical pieces of the club’s future.

Jesus Sanchez hit a pair of two-run, opposite-field home runs, the first scoring the Marlins’ first runs of the game and the second giving Miami (62-84) its first lead of the game in the ninth. Bryan De La Cruz belted out a home run of his own, reached base safely three times and scored on both of Sanchez’s home runs.

“I’ve been very comfortable to have De La Cruz in front of me,” Sanchez said. “He’s a player that gets on base. It’s something that is very exciting to have him there, full of confidence.”

Sanchez hit his 11th home run of the season — and fourth of this six-game road trip — in the sixth inning. He sent a slider from lefty Alberto Baldonado a projected 401 feet to left-center field. It was just Sanchez’s second home run off a breaking pitch this season and for the moment tied the game at 2-2.

He then secured the lead in the ninth by sending a first-pitch sinker from right-hander Kyle Finnegan 401 feet and into the Marlins’ bullpen in left-center for home run No. 12.

“We’ve seen the power all over the place,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.

Sanchez has nine home runs and 22 RBI in the last 27 games since returning from the injured list.

What has sparked his recent success?

“It’s just a matter of continuing working,” Sanchez said. “Getting a lot of repetition and just making things happen.”

De La Cruz, acquired from the Houston Astros in the Yimi Garcia trade, hit a 388-foot home run of his own to left-center in the eighth to cut Miami’s deficit to 5-4.

The home run was De La Cruz’s fifth of the season and the third time he reached base on Wednesday after walking in the fourth and sixth. Since making his MLB debut on July 30, the 24-year-old has a .336 batting average.

He also hit a game-tying RBI fielder’s choice in the ninth before Sanchez’s go-ahead home run.

“He’s just been so consistent,” Mattingly said, “kind of daily doing his thing.”

Like Lewin Diaz, who hit two home runs on Tuesday and is looking more comfortable with an extended look at the MLB level, the progression of Sanchez and De La Cruz as all-around players is a key development the Marlins organization is watching over the final three weeks of the season.

“You want to try to pay attention,” Mattingly said, “to body language and everything that’s going on with them. You’re watching everything that they do — defense, baserunning — and try to evaluate all of it.”

Another rough one for Rogers

Left-handed pitcher Trevor Rogers had another short outing and showed signs of fatigue as he works his final handful of starts of the 2021 season after missing a month while tending to family medical emergencies.

The Marlins’ lone All-Star this season who was the frontrunner for the National League Rookie of the Year through the first half of the season threw just four innings and faced traffic on the basepaths each time he stepped on the mound Wednesday. The Nationals had multiple batters reach base each inning against Rogers, scattering seven hits against him and drawing a walk while striking out just three times.

But Rogers minimized the damage, keeping the Nationals (60-86) off the scoreboard and stranding six runners before Lane Thomas hit a first pitch changeup to shallow center field for an RBI single.

Mattingly said Rogers’ pitches were “pretty flat” on Wednesday. The average velocity for all three of Rogers’ pitches were well below season average — the fastball down 1.8 mph (averaging 92.7 mph compared to 94.5 mph), the changeup down 2.2 mph (82.7 mph compared to 84.9 mph) and the slider down 1.5 mph (80.3 mph compared to 81.8 mph)

“Just didn’t have the same zip,” Mattingly said, “but to his credit, he hangs in there. He keeps battling and kept us in the game.”

With that said, he hasn’t completed five innings in any of his three starts since returning from the month-long hiatus. His ERA is 4.97 over this September stretch, compared to a 2.45 mark through his first 20 starts. He’s averaging 1.58 walks and hits per inning in September compared to 1.13 before this month.

“Really just trying to finish this season strong,” Rogers said. “Probably got three more starts, so really just trying to finish strong, finish healthy and win the last couple times out this year.”

More game notables

▪ The Nationals scored a pair of unearned runs off reliever Anthony Bass in the seventh. Washington loaded the bases on a Yadiel Hernandez groundball single, Riley Adams walk and Isan Diaz fielding error that allowed Ryan Zimmerman to reach first with two outs. Lane Thomas walked on five pitches to force in a run and Alcides Escobar lofted a sinker into shallow right field to score a second run.

Marlins relief pitchers surrendered five bases-loaded walks over the final two games against the Nationals.

▪ Paul Campbell gave up a solo home run to Josh Bell to lead off the eighth inning.

▪ The Marlins went 3-6 at Nationals Park this season.

▪ Miguel Rojas hit RBI singles in the seventh and ninth innings.

Next up

The Marlins host the Pittsburgh Pirates Friday through Sunday and then face the Nationals for the final time this year Monday through Wednesday at loanDepot park.

The projected pitching matchups for the weekend series with the Pirates are as follows:

Friday: Elieser Hernandez (1-1, 4.14 ERA) against Wil Crowe (3-7, 5.97)

Saturday: Edward Cabrera (0-1, 6.61) against Bryse Wilson (2-7, 4.97)

Sunday: Alcantara (9-13) against a to-be-determined starting pitcher

This story was originally published September 15, 2021 at 4:59 PM.

Jordan McPherson

Miami Herald

305-376-2129

Jordan McPherson covers the Miami Hurricanes and Florida Panthers for the Miami Herald. He attended the University of Florida and covered the Gators athletic program for five years before joining the Herald staff in December 2017.