MIAMI -- (Interstat) -- Foster Griffin struck out a season-high nine over seven innings of two-run ball, and Jacob Young homered as the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 3-2 on Friday night at loanDepot Park.

Griffin allowed two runs, one earned, in the first inning and then shut down Miami for the remainder of his outing. He scattered four hits and retired his final eight batters, striking out five of them. The left-hander improved to 4-1 on the season, continuing a strong stretch after he gave up no earned runs in each of his previous two starts, including a win over the Chicago White Sox on April 26 and a loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on May 2.

The victory moved Washington to 19-20, while Miami fell to 17-22. PJ Poulin recorded his first save of the season, getting the final out in the ninth inning.

All five runs were scored in the first inning. Washington struck first, sending nine batters to the plate. James Wood led off with a strikeout, but Curtis Mead doubled to center field. Brady House struck out for the second out, then CJ Abrams singled to center, scoring Mead. Jacob Young followed with a home run to left field, his third of the season, scoring Abrams and giving the Nationals a 3-0 lead. Daylen Lile grounded out to end the inning.

Miami answered in the bottom half. Xavier Edwards led off with a homer to left-center, his third of the year, cutting the lead to 3-1. Otto Lopez doubled sharply to left, and after a throwing error by first baseman Curtis Mead allowed Lopez to score, Kyle Stowers reached second on the error. Christopher Morel grounded out, Connor Norby struck out, and Javier Sanoja grounded out to end the inning with the score 3-2.

That was all the offense either team would generate. Griffin settled in after the first, allowing only a single to Leo Jiménez in the second and a single to Otto Lopez in the fifth. He walked one batter, Xavier Edwards in the second, but stranded him. Griffin struck out the side in the fifth, getting Esteury Ruiz, Edwards and Kyle Stowers.

The Nationals threatened in the second when Joey Wiemer walked and Nasim Nuñez singled, but Keibert Ruiz grounded into a double play. Washington also had runners on base in the third when Abrams and Young walked, but Lile grounded out. In the fifth, Mead walked and House singled, but Abrams grounded into a double play. Washington stranded three more runners in the seventh after Nuñez walked and Mead walked, but House grounded into a force out.

Miami’s best chance after the first came in the ninth. Robby Snelling, who took the loss, had kept the Marlins in the game with five innings of work, allowing three runs on five hits with two strikeouts. He was replaced by Tyler Phillips, who threw 2⅓ scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out two. Anthony Bender threw a scoreless eighth, striking out one.

In the bottom of the ninth, Washington led 3-2. Poulin entered after Brad Lord had thrown 1⅔ scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out two. Liam Hicks flied out to center. Jakob Marsee struck out swinging. Javier Sanoja reached on a throwing error by shortstop CJ Abrams. Heriberto Hernández walked, putting runners on first and second. Leo Jiménez grounded into a force out, with second baseman Nasim Nuñez fielding and throwing to second to force out Hernández, ending the game.

Otto Lopez led Miami with three hits, going 3-for-4 with a double. Xavier Edwards homered and drove in the Marlins’ first run. For Washington, Jacob Young was 1-for-3 with the home run and two RBIs. CJ Abrams was 1-for-3 with a walk, a single and an RBI. Curtis Mead walked twice and doubled.

Attendance was announced at 12,070. The game lasted 2 hours, 43 minutes.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Washington Nationals 6, Miami Marlins 4. Interstat’s ELO system gave Miami a 57.60 percent probability to win. Miami was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1½. The total score of five went over the over-under line of eight.