MIAMI (AP) — Braxton Garrett pitched six effective innings in his first major league start in a month, and the Miami Marlins beat the Washington Nationals 5-2 on Friday night.
Garrett allowed one run — Lane Thomas’ leadoff homer in the first — and five hits. The left-hander struck out six and walked none.
“I felt good, really confident,” Garrett said. “I was just trying to be in the zone with my stuff and get quick outs.”
Garrett (3-6) was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville earlier in the day. It was his first appearance with Miami since he threw six scoreless innings against Atlanta on Aug. 14.
Three days after his performance against the World Series champion Braves, Garrett went on the injured list and eventually to the minors.
“Of course I didn’t want to get optioned, I thought I’d done well,” Garrett said. “It’s just the business of the game. We have a lot of really good pitchers. I don’t think anyone in my position would have been happy with it but I just try to take everything in stride and continue to do my job the best I can wherever that is.”
Garrett Cooper and Jon Berti each doubled and singled for the Marlins. Berti also stole his NL-leading 37th base.
Nationals starter Josiah Gray plunked Bryan De La Cruz with the bases loaded, snapping a 1-1 tie in the sixth. Charles Leblanc followed with an RBI single, and Miguel Rojas grounded into a double play that scored JJ Bleday from third.
“It was good to get those,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said.
Bleday’s sacrifice fly in the seventh padded Miami’s lead, but Washington got one back on Joey Meneses’ run-scoring double in the eighth.
Dylan Floro handled the ninth for his sixth save.
“We chased quite a bit tonight, we chased sliders in the dirt,” Nationals…