Marlins finish August on excessive be aware with large win over Nationals

WASHINGTON — If these Marlins are going to remain afloat, the time is now. 

Fighting to stay within the postseason image, the flailing Marlins wrapped up a nightmare August on a excessive be aware Thursday, cruising to a 6-1 win over the Nationals that they hope helps them push the worst month of their season into the rearview mirror.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jake Burger homers equipped the offense behind six innings of one-run ball from Braxton Garrett as Miami inched 2 1/2 video games behind San Francisco (69-64) for the third National League Wild Card spot. Miami additionally moved to 2 video games behind idle Arizona (69-65) and 1 1/2 video games behind idle Cincinnati (69-66); the Giants play the Padres later tonight.

If a tiebreaker is required to find out a Wild Card spot, it first goes to head-to-head matchups, then to divisional information. The Marlins received their season sequence over the D-backs (4-2) and break up their sequence with the Giants (3-3) and the Reds (3-3).

“If you told me in Spring Training we’d be a few games back in the playoff hunt at this point, I think I’d take it,” supervisor Skip Schumaker stated.

It’s tough to understate how dampening August was to a Marlins group that struggled out of the All-Star break following one of the crucial profitable first halves in franchise historical past. Miami’s 10-17 August report was the second-worst mark within the National League; regardless of Thursday’s win, the Marlins nonetheless completed the month having misplaced 10 of their final 14 video games. They entered the month tied for the third Wild Card spot and held a one-game cushion on Aug. 14 — however discover themselves behind three groups solely two weeks later.

“If you’re coming to the field knowing you have a chance to make the postseason, it’s an exciting time to come to the yard,” Schumaker stated. “There are a lot of teams that are out of it, and it can be tough to find that motivation. We have that chance, and that’s all you can ask for.”