Max Scherzer overpowered Giancarlo Stanton, Howie Kendrick hit a three-run triple and the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 11-2 on Monday night.
Scherzer (13-5) allowed one run and five hits, including Christian Yelich’s home run, and had 10 strikeouts in his return from the 10-day disabled list.
Stanton, named NL Player of the Week for the second time this month on Monday, went 0 for 3 against Scherzer with two strikeouts and a groundball double play one day after becoming the first NL player to hit 50 home runs in a season since Prince Fielder in 2007.
Jayson Werth had a two-run homer off Jose Urena (12-6) in his first game with the Nationals since suffering a left foot contusion on June 5.
Matt Wieters added a two-run single in the decisive sixth for an 11-1 lead as Washington halted Miami’s four-game winning streak.
Stanton batted .448 (13 for 29) with five home runs and 11 RBI last week. His 17 homers in August are one shy of the major league record of 18 set by Rudy York in 1937. The slugger didn’t hit the ball out of the infield against Scherzer.
The two-time Cy Young award winner missed two starts since his last outing on Aug. 13 against San Francisco with inflammation in the left side of his neck. Scherzer threw 100 pitches, struck out at least 10 batters for the 14th time this season and lowered his ERA against the Marlins in 2017 to 1.17 over four starts.
Werth missed 75 games after fouling a ball off his foot at Oakland. He was activated Monday from the 60-day DL following a six-game rehab assignment. His blast in the fourth put Washington up 4-1 after Miami scored in the top half of the inning on Yelich’s homer.
Werth later singled as Washington loaded the bases in the sixth against reliever Dustin McGowan. All three scored as Yelich misplayed Kendrick’s sinking liner and the ball scooted to the wall.
Urena exited early after throwing 94 pitches through four innings. He gave up four runs and five hits with three walks. The right-hander was 3-0 with 2.95 ERA over four previous starts this month.
Miami entered the series 4 1-2 games behind Colorado for the second Wild Card berth.
Marlins first baseman Justin Bour is expected to go on a rehabilitation assignment before the minor league season ends. “You worry about a guy being out for six or seven weeks and trying to stick him back in the lineup when he doesn’t have any at-bats,” manager Don Mattingly said. Bour has been on the DL since July 25 with a right oblique strain.
To open roster space for Scherzer and Werth, Washington optioned outfielders Andrew Stevenson and Rafael Bautista to Triple-A Syracuse. Infielder Stephen Drew (left abdominal strain) was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.
Marlins righty Vance Worley (2-3, 5.70 ERA) is 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA against the Nationals this season. On Tuesday, he faces Nationals righty Edwin Jackson (4-3, 3.38), who is 2-1 with a 1.89 ERA over his last three starts.
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