Mark Reynolds may have sent his manager toward a sleepless night.
How is Dave Martinez supposed to rest when he’s got to figure out whether Reynolds’ career night earned him another start Sunday?
”Well Aaron Lynch Jersey , I mean I’m going to sleep just fine. That’s his problem,” Reynolds joked afterward. ”I’ll be ready to go either way.”
Reynolds homered twice and drove in a career-high 10 runs, Max Scherzer won for the first time since June 5, and the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 18-4 on Saturday night.
Martinez said he’ll have to think about where to put the right-handed hitting Reynolds when the Marlins start a right-hander on Sunday. Martinez has other options at first base, including left-handed hitters Matt Adams and Daniel Murphy.
Washington has won three straight and scored a combined 35 runs since calling a players-only meeting on Wednesday after falling under .500 for the first time since May 2.
Reynolds (5 for 5) tied his career high for hits and equaled the Nationals’ RBI record.
Reynolds hit a two-run homer in the second inning into the same visitors’ bullpen where his walk-off homer landed on Friday. He followed that up with an RBI double in the second, a two-run single in the fifth, a three-run homer in the sixth, and a two-run single in the seventh.
”Yeah, that’s like a good two weeks,” Reynolds said. ”These things don’t happen often.”
Signed as minor league free agent in April Cameron Meredith Jersey , Reynolds is 12 for 23 with four home runs since June 29.
”I’ve seen him like this,” Martinez said. ”When he gets hot like this he can stay hot for a while, so we’ll have to figure something out, see if we can get him in tomorrow.”
Washington, which has won 14 straight against Miami, broke it open by batting around the order and scoring a season-best seven runs in the fifth inning.
”We haven’t had any success with them in a while now,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. ”They’re a good lineup up and down, but we’ve pitched better than this.”
Scherzer (11-5), who was 0-4 in his previous five starts, pitched seven innings Clark Harris Jersey , allowing four runs on four hits – three of which were home runs. The Nationals had been shut out in three of Scherzer’s previous five starts.
Bryce Harper had three hits and an intentional walk.
Starlin Castro and J.T. Realmuto hit the first back-to-back home runs of the season for the Marlins in the fourth inning. Yadiel Rivera hit his first homer of the season in the seventh.
STREAK SNAPPED
The Marlins were 9-0 this season in games in which Realmuto homered before Saturday night.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: OF Brian Anderson was out of the lineup for the first time this season. After playing in Miami’s first 90 games, Mattingly said it was time for a breather. … Mattingly said OF Lewis Brinson (right hip) is still sore and ”doing a little treatment, and that’s all.”
Nationals: Martinez said RHP Stephen Strasburg (shoulder inflammation) is scheduled to go on a rehab assignment Tuesday with the goal of throwing 50-60 pitches. … OF Victor Robles (hyperextended left elbow) and RHP Koda Glover (right shoulder tendinitis) both played in a Gulf Coast League game Friday. Martinez said Glover is ”progressing well” but that he wouldn’t be pitching in back-to-back games. … C Matt Wieters (left hamstring strain) went 1 for 4 in a rehab start with Double-A Harrisburg and is expected to play again on Sunday before being re-evaluated.
UP NEXT
Marlins: Rookie RHP Trevor Richards (2-5, 5.26 ERA) makes his first start against the Nationals in the series finale.
Nationals: RHP Tanner Roark (3-10, 4.60 ERA) is looking for his first win since June 6. Roark is 5-8 with a 3.99 ERA in 22 games against the Marlins. The Oakland Athletics leaned on pitching, defense and Jed Lorie’s clutch hitting to overcome their lack of a long ball.
Lowrie hit an RBI double in the fourth inning and Chris Bassitt pitched six innings to help Oakland beat the Detroit Tigers 3-0 on Wednesday night.
The A’s did not clear the fences, ending their major league-record streak at 27 road games.
”We put home run swings on them,” manager Bob Melvin said. ”We just didn’t get rewarded for them.”
Detroit’s JaCoby Jones leaped to catch a ball Matt Olson sent over the wall in left in the second inning and Leonys Martin made a pair of catches deep in center field with his back to the plate.
”Anywhere else those are home runs,” Melvin said.
Lowrie did his part at the plate again with a game-winning RBI for the third straight game. He drove in a tiebreaking run in the top of the ninth inning the previous two wins against the Tigers.
”In games when they were close and you need a big at-bat Vernon Butler Jersey , he’s been giving it to us all year,” Melvin said. ”After a little bit of struggle to be able to do it the way he has on this trip has been borderline spectacular.”
Bassitt (1-3) gave up two hits and five walks while striking out five. He had lost nine straight since his last win in the majors in 2015.
The right-hander expected to have control problems after being in multiple states in recent days.
”I’m just racking up the frequent flier miles,” Bassitt said.
Yusmeiro Petit entered in the seventh for his first of two innings and Jose Iglesias, the first to face the reliever, hit an infield single his stolen base was over turned by video review. Lou Trivino pitched the ninth for his second save in three chances, sealing the shutout.
Mike Fiers (5-5) allowed a run on five hits and one walk over seven innings as Detroit lost its eighth straight game.
”This happens with young guys,” Tigers bench coach Steve Liddle said. ”The team starts to struggle and they start trying to do too much. A lot of our guys are new to the majors either this year or last year.”
Joe Jimenez kept Detroit within a run in the eighth before the A’s gave themselves a bigger cushion against Alex Wilson. Josh Phegley and Dustin Fowler hit RBI doubles in the ninth off Wilson, putting Oakland ahead 3-0.
OUT OF HERE
Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire was ejected after the third inning for arguing with home plate umpire Lance Barksdale.
”Ron saw a couple things he didn’t like and he had to protect our player,” bench coach Steve Liddle said. ”And, that’s why you’re talking to me.”
ALSO OUT
The Tigers fired pitching coach Chris Bosio Christian Covington Jersey , saying he made insensitive comments to another employee of the team.
”I have to take seriously what the comments were,” Tigers general manager Al Avila said, declining to give details. ”And, the action we took was appropriate.”
The Tigers promoted bullpen coach Rick Anderson to replace Bosio. Roving pitching instructor A.J. Sager will be the team’s bullpen coach until Triple-A Toledo pitching coach Jeff Pico takes his place next week.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Athletics: RHP Trevor Cahill, on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right Achilles tendon is scheduled for another bullpen Friday.
ROSTER MOVE
The A’s put RHP Daniel Mengden on the 10-day DL, retroactive to June 25, with a sprained right foot and recalled Bassitt from Triple-A Nashville. Mengden (6-6) has started 16 games, tying LHP Sean Manaea for the team lead.
UP NEXT
Manaea (7-6) will be pitching to help his team sweep the four-game series while Detroit counters with RHP Michael Fulmer (3-6).