MIAMI (AP) — Joan Adon pitched six scoreless innings of two-hit ball as the Washington Nationals built a six-run lead and defeated the sliding Miami Marlins 7-4 Friday night.
Carter Kieboom homered, Michael Chavis had two hits and Joey Meneses drove in three runs for the Nationals, who have won 10 of 13 and moved ahead of the New York Mets and out of the NL East cellar for the first time since June 2.
“Confidence is really good right now and that’s a key factor,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “But these young guys are starting to understand how to play the game. Everything’s going well right now and I’m proud of these guys.”
Adon (2-0) kept Miami hitless until Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s two-out single in the sixth. Chisholm’s grounder, which got under shortstop CJ Abrams, originally was ruled an error but the scoring decision reversed after Luis Arraez lined a single to center.
The 25-year-old right-hander struck out three and hit a batter in his fourth start since his Aug. 5 recall from Triple-A. Adon went 1-12 last season and was optioned to the minors after a four-inning, six-run outing at Miami July 7, 2022.
“I still have the same locker when I got sent down last year,” Adon said. “It was on my mind a little bit before the game. But I said to myself, let’s do it today.”
Before Chisholm’s and Arraez’s singles, Miami had two batters reach against Adon. Jorge Soler hit a fly ball that centerfielder Alex Call dropped for a two-base error in the first and Adon hit Bryan De La Cruz with a pitch in the fifth.
“All my five pitches were working today,” Adon said. “I have confidence in all my pitches.”
Miami has lost five of six and is 12-25 since the All-Star break.
Meneses had an RBI groundout in the first after Abrams’ leadoff single, and Kieboom’s second homer this season, a two-run drive off Braxton Garrett (7-5) built a 3-0 lead in the sixth.
“I’m not trying to do too much, not trying to put on added pressure,” said Kieboom, who missed the 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and spent the first five months this season in Triple-A.
Washington doubled its lead in the seventh against Steven Okert and Jorge López on Meneses’ two-run double and Keibert Ruiz’s RBI single.
“That’s the key to having an offense – one after another, keep the line moving,” Kieboom said.
Miami snapped a 21-inning scoreless skid in the seventh on Jesús Sánchez’s two-run triple and Nick Fortes’ RBI double against Mason Thompson, who faced five batters without retiring any.
Chisholm hit into a run-scoring forceout against Robert Garcia that cut Miami’s deficit to 6-4, and Soler grounded into an inning-ending double play. Garcia pitched a perfect eighth and, after Call’s RBI single in the ninth, Hunter Harvey worked around De La Cruz’s leadoff single in the bottom half for his 10th save in 15 chances.
“We’ve got to figure out a way to get to the starting pitcher. We haven’t done a good job of that lately,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “We kind of dug ourselves in a hole.”
Garrett allowed three runs and seventh hits in six innings.
CLOSE CALL
Nationals right-fielder Lane Thomas favored his shoulder, neck and chin area after he collided with Call in center on the error that allowed Soler to reach. Thomas sat on the field while tended to by an athletic trainer and remained in the game.
“I got a little worried there, but he said he was fine,” Martinez said.
ATTENDANCE
The attendance of 12,409 raised the Marlins home season total to 918,506, topping last year’s 907,487.
ROSTER MOVE
Miami activated RHP JT Chargois from the 15-day injured list and placed RHP George Soriano on the paternity list.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: OF Stone Garrett (fractured left fibula) underwent surgery Friday. … Tanner Rainey (right elbow surgery) threw one scoreless inning in his second rehab outing with Double-A Harrisburg Thursday.
Marlins: OF Avisaíl García (left hamstring strain) underwent an imaging test on Wednesday that confirmed the injury he sustained against San Diego a day earlier.
UP NEXT
RHP Jake Irvin (3-5, 4.47) will for the Nationals on Saturday while the Marlins will go with RHP Eury Pérez (5-4, 2.91).
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