WASHINGTON – WASHINGTON (AP) --- The Washington Nationals’ bullpen halted a Miami Marlins rally, retiring all seven batters it faced in a 5-4 victory on Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader.Kyle Finnegan (1-0) struck out Jorge Alfaro to escape a two-out, bases-loaded jam he inherited from starter Max Scherzer in the fifth to earn his first major league win.
Tanner Rainey pitched a 1-2-3 sixth, and Daniel Hudson earned his sixth save with a perfect seventh.Miami starter Daniel Castano (0-2) got only one out against four batters, allowing two runs.
The Nationals increased the lead to 3-0 on Howie Kendrick’s sacrifice fly in the third.The Marlins’ defensive sloppiness helped Washington score twice in the fourth.