Marlins can't get offense rolling against Max Scherzer in 6-1 loss to Nationals

MIAMI (AP) — Max Scherzer struck out 10 in eight innings and won his fifth straight start, leading the Washington Nationals over the Miami Marlins 6-1 on Tuesday night.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner also had two hits and scored twice.

Scherzer (7-5) is 5-0 with a 0.92 ERA over his last seven starts and has fanned exactly 10 in three straight games. He allowed five hits and one run while throwing 71 of 94 pitches for strikes.

Trea Turner hit a three-run homer and Juan Soto knocked in two runs for the Nationals, who have won six of eight.

Miami had its four-game winning streak end, and manager Don Mattingly and shortstop Miguel Rojas were ejected in the eighth by plate umpire Mike Estabrook for arguing. Rojas struck out earlier in the inning.

Trevor Richards (3-8) allowed a season-high six runs in five innings. Curtis Granderson knocked in the Marlins’ only run while Garrett Cooper had his 14-game hitting streak snapped with an 0-for-4 night.

The Nationals scored three runs in the third on Soto’s two-run single and a grounder by Howie Kendrick.

Turner’s sixth homer of the season gave the Nationals a 6-0 lead in the fourth.

Granderson’s RBI single in the fourth was the first run Scherzer had allowed in 13 innings.

Adam Conley relieved Richards and struck out seven in three innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Nationals: 1B Ryan Zimmerman (foot) has been rehabbing with Double-A Harrisburg and is aiming towards a return in the weekend series at Detroit. “If everything goes well from now until then, he’ll meet us in Detroit,” manager Dave Martinez said. “He had a good day yesterday, will DH today, and hopefully if he feels good play nine innings tomorrow and then we’ll see where we’re at.” . RHP Jeremy Hellickson was transferred to the 60-day injured list. “It’s going to be a little longer process than we thought and we just want to make sure he’s OK,” Martinez said.

Marlins: 1B Neil Walker (quad) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list. . LHP Caleb Smith (hip) will make another rehab start before rejoining the team after he struck out 11 in 4 1/3 innings on 71 pitches for Double-A Jacksonville on Monday. “I know Caleb probably feels he’s ready to go, but for us it wouldn’t be over 90 pitches the next time out and it puts us in a little bit of a bind,” Mattingly said. “I think we’ve got to get Caleb all the way back to full speed.”