Harper, Drew, Heisey homer as Nats come back to beat Marlins 5-3

Kyle Barraclough pitched 20 games last season for the Marlins before allowing a home run.

On Sept. 19, 2015, that streak ended thanks to a blast by Bryce Harper.

The next 17 games, Barraclough appeared in, he did not allow another homer.

Until Friday night, again at Nationals Park. With a man on, Harper connected for the second homer given up by the Marlins right-hander, lifting the Nationals to a 4-2 lead. It was Harper's 11th homer of the season.

The Nationals went on to win 5-3 in the opener of a three-game weekend series.

Pinch-hitter Stephen Drew crushed a two-run shot in the sixth to tie the game at 2-2. It was his first homer since April 13.

Pinch-hitter Chris Heisey added insurance with a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth to make it 5-3 Nats.

Four innings of solid pitching went away quickly in the fifth inning for Gio Gonzalez.

Second baseman Daniel Murphy had a shot at a 4-6-3 double play, but dropped the ball on the switch from glove to hand. The error put runners on first and second.

After a strikeout, Miguel Rojas singled after Murphy threw to first base and Ryan Zimmerman and Gonzalez were late covering the bag.

That allowed Marcell Ozuna to score and Miami led 1-0. No one went after the ball, which rolled in front of the steps to the Nationals dugout. Zimmerman finally reached the ball and his throw home to catcher Jose Lobaton was late. Chris Johnson slid under the tag and suddenly the Marlins led 2-0.

Murphy was tagged with his second error of the inning on the strange play.

Prior to the difficult fifth inning, Gonzalez had allowed just one hit and struck out five Marlins.

But the game did not get any easier for Gonzalez in the sixth as he allowed three consecutive singles to load the bases. He was replaced by reliever Yusmeiro Petit, who struck out Adeiny Hechavarria.

Manager Dusty Baker then went to Oliver Perez to face pinch-hitter Derek Dietrich. Perez got Dietrich to ground into a double play started by shortstop Danny Espinosa and the Nationals escaped the threat.

Baker ended up using five relievers: Petit and Perez in the sixth, Blake Treinen for two innings, and Felipe Rivero and Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth. Papelbon got the final two outs to earn his 10th save. His 359th career save moves him to 10th all-time in career saves.