On September 3, 2025, the Washington Nationals delivered a commanding 10-5 victory over the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park, powered by Nasim Nuñez’s two home runs and a balanced offensive attack. The win, before a crowd of 11,190 under partly cloudy skies, improved the Nationals’ record to 56-83, though they remain last in the National League East. The Marlins, falling to 65-75 and third in the division, struggled to counter Washington’s early barrage, despite a late rally sparked by Joey Wiemer’s first homer of the season.
The Nationals struck first in the opening inning, capitalizing on Miami starter Eury Pérez’s control issues. James Wood scored on a sharp line-drive single by Luis García Jr., who also drove in Daylen Lile, giving Washington a 2-0 lead. Jorge Alfaro followed with an RBI double, pushing the score to 3-0. Nuñez, the Nationals’ shortstop, ignited the crowd in the second with his first homer, a solo shot to right field, and Lile added an RBI single to make it 5-0. Pérez, who fell to 6-5 with a 4.66 ERA, allowed two more runs in the fourth when Brady House launched a two-run homer, scoring Robert Hassell III, to extend the lead to 7-0. Pérez’s outing ended after four innings, having surrendered seven runs on eight hits, with a wild pitch and a balk compounding his struggles.
Miami responded in the fifth against Nationals starter Brad Parker, who pitched 4.2 innings, allowing four runs. Wiemer’s two-run homer, scoring Eric Wagaman, cut the deficit to 7-2. Heriberto Hernández then delivered a two-run single, driving in Xavier Edwards and Agustín Ramírez, narrowing the gap to 7-4. The Marlins’ rally stalled, however, as Washington’s bullpen, led by Jackson Rutledge (3-2, 5.54 ERA), shut down further threats. Rutledge earned the win with a scoreless fifth, while Steven Poulin and Koichi Ogasawara held Miami scoreless over the final frames. A passed ball by Alfaro in the eighth allowed Hernández to score, making it 8-5, but Nuñez’s second homer, a two-run shot in the bottom of the eighth off Luis Arias, sealed the 10-5 final.
Nuñez, a 25-year-old prospect, stole the show, going 4-for-3 with four RBIs and boosting his batting average to .234. His performance underscored Washington’s youth movement, with players like House (.244, three homers) and Hassell III (.231) contributing key hits. García Jr. added two RBIs, raising his season total to 57, while Alfaro’s double marked his first in a Nationals uniform.
Miami’s offense, despite 10 hits, struggled with runners in scoring position, going 1-for-8 and leaving seven on base. Errors by Wagaman (fielding) and Ramírez (throwing) didn’t help, nor did two double plays turned by Washington’s infield. Hernández led the Marlins with two RBIs, while Wiemer’s homer marked a highlight in his .259 campaign. The Marlins’ bullpen, including Michael Petersen and Connor Phillips, limited damage after Pérez’s exit, but Washington’s six-for-12 performance with runners in scoring position proved decisive.
