WASHINGTON (Interstat) — Heriberto Hernández homered twice and drove in three runs, leading the Miami Marlins to a 7-3 victory over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night at Nationals Park.

Hernández finished 2 for 5 with a solo home run in the fifth inning and a two-run shot in the ninth, giving him five home runs on the season. The Marlins, who had lost four of their previous five games, evened the four-game series at one win apiece and improved to 28-34. Washington dropped to 31-31.

Miami broke open a scoreless game with four runs in the fifth inning against Nationals starter Miles Mikolas. Joe Mack started the rally with a two-run homer to center field, scoring Owen Caissie, who had walked. Hernández followed with a solo shot to center, and Otto Lopez added a solo homer to left. The three home runs in the inning marked the Marlins’ most productive frame of the season.

Mikolas, who took the loss and fell to 1-5, allowed six runs on six hits over six innings. He struck out four but walked three.

Washington answered in the sixth. Drew Millas led off with a single, Jacob Young followed with a single, and after a fly out by James Wood, Luis García Jr. grounded into a force out that scored a run, cutting the deficit to 4-1.

The Nationals pulled within one in the seventh. CJ Abrams singled, Daylen Lile singled, and Dylan Crews reached on an infield single that also allowed Abrams to score on a throwing error by third baseman Leo Jiménez. Jorbit Vivas grounded out, and Keibert Ruiz grounded out to first, scoring Lile to make it 4-3.

Miami’s bullpen then shut the door. Lake Bachar, the first reliever, worked 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out three. John King, the winning pitcher, tossed 1 2/3 hitless innings. Michael Petersen, Anthony Bender and Calvin Faucher each contributed scoreless relief, with Faucher striking out two in the ninth.

Washington threatened in the eighth when Luis García Jr. tripled to right with one out, but Curtis Mead flied out and CJ Abrams struck out to end the inning.

The Marlins added three insurance runs in the ninth against Nationals reliever Mitchell Parker. Liam Hicks led off with a single, Jakob Marsee singled, and after Owen Caissie flied out, Mack laid down a sacrifice bunt that scored Hicks. Hernández then crushed his second homer of the night to left field, scoring Marsee.

Otto Lopez added a single, but Kyle Stowers lined out to end the inning. Lopez finished 2 for 5 with a home run and an RBI. Mack went 1 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs.

The Nationals had seven hits, including two from Lile and one each from Millas, Young, Abrams, Crews and García. Washington left seven runners on base.

Attendance was 19,751, and the game lasted 2 hours, 52 minutes.

Hernández continued his hot streak. He had gone 1 for 2 with a home run and two RBIs in Monday’s 7-3 win over the same Nationals, and had collected hits in three of his previous four games. His two-homer performance Tuesday marked his second multi-hit game in his last five outings.

Miami’s pitching staff combined for 11 strikeouts while issuing only two walks. Bachar, King, Petersen, Bender and Faucher each threw scoreless appearances, with Bachar and King each working multiple innings.

Washington right-hander Richard Lovelady pitched two scoreless innings of relief, allowing no hits and striking out two.

The game was a reversal of Monday’s series opener, when Miami also won 7-3. The Marlins have now won two consecutive games after dropping seven of their previous eight. The Nationals had won four of their previous six.

Miami will look to take the series Wednesday when the teams meet again at Nationals Park. The Marlins then return home to face the Tampa Bay Rays for a three-game series starting Friday. Washington heads on the road to face the Arizona Diamondbacks beginning Friday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Washington Nationals 6, Miami Marlins 4. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Washington with a 52.30 percent probability to win. Miami had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 10 went under the over/under line of 9.