Bryce Harper launches two homers, Nats win 7-2

MIAMI - The Nationals had a decent scoring chance in the first after Anthony Rendon led off with a walk and then Jayson Werth reached on an error. But Marlins starter Tom Koehler whiffed Bryce Harper and Dee Gordon robbed Ryan Zimmerman with a driving grab to end the inning.

Nationals right-hander Doug Fister retired the first five hitters of the game before hitting Derek Dietrich. Fister paid for the mistake when Dietrich scored all the way from first on Ichiro Suzuki's two-out RBI double down the left field line. Ichiro became the 38th player in Major League Baseball history to reach 2,900 hits on the two-bagger.

Update II: Harper dropped a bloop single into left to start the fourth. Two batters later, Ian Desmond blistered a triple into the right field corner, scoring Harper to tie the game.

Michael A. Taylor then lifted a fly ball to left, which was deep enough for Desmond to tag and score standing up.

One again, a free pass came back to haunt Fister in the bottom of the frame. Justin Bour drew a leadoff walk and then advanced to second on Ichiro's second hit of the night. A two-out base knock to left from Adeiny Hechavarria scored Bour as Ichiro got caught up in a rundown to end the inning.

Update III: The Nats put together a two-out rally in the fifth. After consecutive singles from Yunel Escobar and Werth, Harper mashed a 93-mph heater from Koehler into the second deck at Marlins Park for a three-run homer. Koehler has delivered four of Harper's 28 home runs this season.

Update IV: Harper launched a fastball from Marlins right-hander Sam Dyson back up into the right field upper deck for a solo home run to start the eighth. A few batters later, Taylor drilled an opposite field blast. The solo shot was Taylor's third homer in the last four days.

Casey Janssen pitched a scoreless seventh and Drew Storen made his first appearance of the year in the eighth, retiring the Marlins in order.

Update V: Tanner Roark battled through the ninth before finishing off the Marlins.

The Nationals beat the Marlins 7-2.