WASHINGTON (Interstat) — Sandy Alcantara pitched seven innings and the Miami Marlins broke open a tie game with a three-run sixth inning before adding three more in the ninth to defeat the Washington Nationals 7-3 on Monday night at Nationals Park.

The Marlins snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 27-34, while the Nationals fell to 31-30 after winning two consecutive games.

Miami struck first in the opening inning against Nationals starter Cade Cavalli. Liam Hicks drew a leadoff walk and Otto Lopez singled to right field. Kyle Stowers sacrificed both runners into scoring position, and after a walk to Xavier Edwards loaded the bases, Leo Jiménez struck out. Owen Caissie then worked a bases-loaded walk after a replay challenge overturned an initial pitch call, forcing in Hicks for a 1-0 lead. Jakob Marsee grounded out to end the inning with the bases left loaded.

Washington answered in the bottom of the second. CJ Abrams led off with a sharp single to center. Daylen Lile popped out in foul territory, bringing up Jacob Young, who crushed a two-run home run to left field, his eighth of the season, giving the Nationals a 2-1 lead.

The Nationals added a run in the third. James Wood reached on an infield single and advanced to second when shortstop Otto Lopez threw wide of first base on the play. Luis García Jr. grounded out to move Wood to third, and Curtis Mead singled to left, scoring Wood. Mead was thrown out attempting to advance to second on the throw from left fielder Kyle Stowers to second baseman Xavier Edwards, ending the inning with Washington ahead 3-1.

Alcantara settled in after the third. He retired the side in order in the fourth. After allowing a one-out single to Nasim Nuñez in the fifth, Alcantara caught Nuñez stealing second, with catcher Joe Mack throwing to shortstop Otto Lopez. Alcantara allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits over seven innings, striking out five and walking one on 93 pitches.

The Marlins tied the game in the sixth. Leo Jiménez led off with a single to center off Cavalli. Heriberto Hernández followed by launching a home run to left field, his third of the season, knotting the score at 3-3. Jakob Marsee was hit by a pitch, and Joe Mack sacrificed him to second. Connor Norby then doubled off the right-field wall, driving in Marsee to give Miami a 4-3 lead. Norby’s double was his tenth of the season.

Cavalli exited after six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits, striking out six and walking three. Miami’s bullpen preserved the lead, with Anthony Bender pitching a scoreless eighth and Andrew Nardi closing the ninth.

The Marlins broke the game open in the ninth against Nationals reliever Richard Lovelady. Liam Hicks led off with his 12th home run, a solo shot to right field. Otto Lopez walked, and Kyle Stowers crushed a two-run homer to right-center, his fourth, extending the lead to 7-3. Xavier Edwards followed with a single and stole second, but Leo Jiménez struck out and Esteury Ruiz struck out looking after a replay challenge confirmed the pitch call.

Lovelady allowed two runs on two hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning, falling to 2-3. He faced three batters in the ninth without recording an out before being replaced. Cole Henry followed and allowed three runs on three hits, including both homers, in one inning, striking out two. Paxton Schultz had pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings earlier in relief, allowing no hits and striking out two.

For Miami, Hicks reached base three times with a walk, a single and the home run, driving in two runs. Otto Lopez went 3-for-4 with a double, a walk and two runs scored. Kyle Stowers drove in two runs with his homer. Leo Jiménez scored twice. Heriberto Hernández went 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Connor Norby doubled and drove in a run.

For Washington, Curtis Mead went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Jacob Young was 1-for-4 with the two-run homer. Nasim Nuñez singled in the fifth and was caught stealing, finishing 1-for-2. James Wood singled. José Tena went 0-for-3 as the designated hitter. Keibert Ruiz went 0-for-3. Jorbit Vivas went 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter in the eighth. Daylen Lile went 1-for-4.

The announced attendance was 11,808. The game lasted 2 hours, 51 minutes.

The most decisive sequence of the game came in the sixth inning when Hernández’s homer erased Washington’s two-run lead and Norby’s double put Miami ahead to stay. The Marlins had not led since the first inning and were staring at a 3-1 deficit. Alcantara’s ability to hold Washington scoreless after the third set the stage for the comeback.

Miami entered the game having lost three straight, including a 10-1 defeat at New York on Sunday, and had dropped five of its previous six. The Marlins had taken two of three from Washington in a series at home from May 8-10. Washington had won three of its last four, including a series win over San Diego.

The two teams continue the three-game series Tuesday night.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Washington 6, Miami 4. Interstat’s ELO system gave Washington a 52.30 percent probability to win. Washington was a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total of 10 runs went under the over/under line of 8.