The Miami Marlins lost 8-3 and were unable to complete a sweep of the Washington Nationals on Wednesday.
Sweeping the division-leading Nationals was a tough task for Miami, but one it needed due to its position in the standings. The Marlins are still mathematically alive in the Wild-Card race, but may need to win every game left. With only ten games to play, Miami will likely need a great deal of outside help to reach the postseason.
With Max Scherzer opposing them, the Marlins had little room for error. Unfortunately for Miami, errors played a big role in the loss. The Marlins committed three errors including two on one play that led to the first run of the game.
Down by six in the seventh inning, Miami used two home runs to bring the score closer. Christian Yelich was first with his 20th home run of the year. Following that, Derek Dietrich hit a two-run pinch-hit home run. Dietrich's sixth homer of the season made it a three-run game.
Tom Koehler started for the Marlins and allowed four runs in four innings. Only three of the runs were earned, but three walks did not help matters for Koehler. The right-hander now has a 4.02 E.R.A and fell to 9-12 on the season.
In the eighth inning after his team scored three runs, Fernando Rodney gave two right back to put the game out of reach.
The Marlins will open a four-game series against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday. Jose Urena will make the start in the first game of the series.
