More on Saturday night's wild win in Miami

MIAMI - A lot happened during the course of the Nationals' 10-4 10-inning win over the Marlins on Saturday night, and much of it was covered in the game story. But let's make sure we give a few more significant moments and developments from the game their just due. ...

* Asdrúbal Cabrera injured his right ankle. He hurt himself sliding while getting tagged out at the plate on a fourth-inning play that had plenty of folks up in arms, with third base coach Bob Henley waving the veteran around on Yan Gomes' single to center and watching as he was thrown out by a healthy margin.

Cabrera stayed in the game until the top of the eighth, when after his leadoff single he was replaced by pinch-runner Michael A. Taylor. So his ankle felt good enough to allow him to play another four innings.

But manager Davey Martinez said Cabrera was "pretty sore" after the game, and he'll need to be evaluated this morning before determining if he can appear in today's series finale or not.

The Nationals have come to rely on Cabrera, an unexpected development when they signed him in early August. He has become their nearly everyday second baseman and one of their best clutch hitters. Cabrera is now batting .413 (19-for-46) with runners in scoring position since joining the Nationals. He also has 34 RBIs in 31 games.

If Cabrera can't go today, Brian Dozier figures to get his first start at second base in a week. Dozier, of course, delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the top of the 10th on Saturday. He's become a forgotten man on the bench this month. He may get his chance now to contribute more at crunch time.

* The primary criticism of Martinez from this game was his decision to leave Fernando Rodney on the mound as the bottom of the eighth was unraveling. But there was another debatable decision in the top of that inning, while the Nats were still trying to add to their lead.

Up 3-0 with runners on the corners and nobody out, Gomes stepped to the plate and Howie Kendrick stepped to the on-deck circle. Given Kendrick's success all season long, it made perfect sense that Martinez would want his best bat off the bench to hit in this situation.

But when Gomes grounded into a force out, with Ryan Zimmerman scoring from third to extend the lead to 4-0 with one out and one on, Kendrick was pulled back from the on-deck circle and Dozier came up to bat instead. Dozier would ground into an inning-ending double play, ruining any chance the Nationals had of extending their lead any further before handing the ball to Rodney for the bottom of the eighth.

Why not just let Kendrick bat there and go for the kill?

"We wanted Howie to hit with multiple guys on base," Martinez explained. "And we thought in that situation, he'll probably hit again."

Kendrick did indeed get another chance one inning later to pinch-hit. With the game now tied following Rodney's meltdown, he pinch-hit for the pitcher's spot, batting with two on and two out. But he got jammed and hit a lazy fly ball to center field for the final out of the inning.

* Rodney's meltdown was, alas, not a new sight for the Nationals. This was the 15th time this season in which a reliever has given up four or more runs in one or fewer innings. Only the Rockies have done that more times (19, to be exact).

More troubling is this fact: Eight of the Nationals' 15 instances have produced a blown save and/or a loss by the reliever in question.

Martinez likes to stick with guys, especially veterans, to pitch out of their own jams. But more often than not, it seems like these guys aren't able to right the wayward ship before it's too late.