Corbin delivers quality, but Nats struggle versus rookie (updated)

Patrick Corbin followed a familiar script, allowing an opponent to take an early lead before settling in to record a quality start. And while the Nationals eventually knotted the score, they did precious little against a 27-year-old rookie making his fourth major league start.

Zach Thompson kept the Nats at bay, striking out 11 in six innings, and Jon Berti's tiebreaking solo homer in the fifth inning - the only hit Corbin allowed after the opening frame - gave the Marlins a 3-2 win over the Nationals on Saturday.

Thompson's assortment of cutters, changeups and curves befuddled the Nationals, who mustered only two runs on four hits and two walks from the right-hander. By winning their second straight against Washington, the Marlins are in position to claim a series win with a victory in Sunday's finale of the four-game series.

"The curveball and changeup were really sharp today," manager Davey Martinez said in his postgame Zoom session with reporters. "He kept everybody off-balance and he threw them for strikes. That's a pretty good combination."

Facing a pitcher they had only limited knowledge of, the Nationals weren't ready for some of the wrinkles Thompson threw at them.

"I think he did a decent job of going from cutter to curveball," said first baseman Josh Bell. "Pretty similar locations on where he started those pitches and the curveball would just drop out of the zone. I feel like he wasn't afraid to use his second and third pitch in any count, which makes guys deceptive. I feel like he did a good job of pounding the zone for the most part, getting ahead of guys."

After going 12-for-25 with nine homers and 16 RBIs over his previous six games, Kyle Schwarber was hitless in four at-bats with three strikeouts and a walk. The Nats were just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

"We squared some balls up today, but just couldn't get the job done today," Martinez said.

The Marlins read the book on Corbin, who entered the game having allowed 15 runs in the opening frame - his most in any inning - while teams slashed .339/.449/.643 against him in the first frame.

Gifted a 1-0 lead after Trea Turner walked with one out and scored on a catchable double that somehow knuckled and eluded Jesús Sánchez in left, Corbin promptly gave the advantage back to the home team during a 20-pitch first that featured a lot of hard contact by the Marlins.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. led off with a triple to the wall in right and scored on Jesús Aguilar's double to right. With two down, Aguilar scored on an RBI single by Miguel Rojas. Both Rojas and Sánchez, who followed with a single, ambushed Corbin's first pitch.

"I know everyone keeps saying, 'The first inning, they're scoring runs,' but I made a couple bad pitches there," Corbin said. "I felt good. Kinda that was it. It stinks. When we put up a run there, you want to go out there and put up a zero - no matter what inning it is, but especially after we score. A little frustrating there. but there's still a lot of game left and you try to put up as many zeros as you can."

The Nats benefited from more shoddy outfield play, tying the game in the fourth. Yan Gomes was hit by a Thompson pitch and scored when Starlin Castro doubled to the gap in left-center. Center fielder Starling Marte got to the gapper, but failed to glove it, then kicked the ball.

Corbin, meanwhile, had his slider working and was setting down 10 in a row after Sánchez's first-inning single. But Thompson was striking out nine through four innings and looking nothing like an inexperienced hurler.

Berti's leadoff homer in the Marlins fifth, an opposite-field blast off a 2-0 sinker, ended Corbin's streak and gave Miami a 3-2 lead.

"If he can do that, I'll tip my cap to him," Corbin said.

The Nats squandered a chance to tie the game in the seventh, when Josh Harrison led off with a double down the left field line off reliever Anthony Bender. Harrison moved to third on pinch-hitter Ryan Zimmerman's flyout to right, but Schwarber grounded out into the shift and Turner popped out foul.

Corbin was done after six innings, allowing three runs on five hits with no walks and six strikeouts.

In the eighth, the Nats got a one-out single by Josh Bell and a two-out walk by Castro against reliever Dylan Floro, but Gerardo Parra skied out to center to end the threat.

Harrison singled to lead off the ninth inning, but Yimi García retired the next three hitters to pick up his 12th save.