MIAMI GARDENS (Interstat) — Eury Pérez allowed one earned run over five innings and Jakob Marsee homered to lead the Miami Marlins to a 4-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Saturday evening before a crowd of 18,473 at loanDepot Park.

Pérez (7-9) scattered three hits and struck out four while limiting Washington to a single unearned run. The right-hander was supported by a Marlins bullpen that combined for four scoreless innings, with Calvin Faucher working the ninth for his second save.

The Marlins jumped ahead in the first inning. Griffin Conine walked and Owen Caissie doubled before Otto Lopez singled to right field, driving in both runners for a 2-0 lead. Miami extended the advantage in the second when Heriberto Hernández launched a solo home run to left field, his 19th of the season. Marsee added another solo shot in the fourth, a fly ball to right field that gave the Marlins a 4-1 lead.

Washington got on the board in the fourth inning against Pérez. Abimelec Ortiz walked and advanced to second on Harry Ford’s groundout. José Tena followed with a ground ball to shortstop Otto Lopez, whose errant throw allowed Ortiz to score from second. The Nationals trimmed the lead to 4-2 in the fifth when Daylen Lile reached on a force out and scored on Dylan Crews’ double to center field, a ball that was deflected by right fielder Esteury Ruiz.

But Washington did not get another hit after that double. The Nationals managed only three hits total in the game, with Crews collecting one of them, Tena dropping in a single in the fourth, and Andrew Pinckney lining a single in the fifth. Miami starter Pérez exited after five innings with his team in front, and the Marlins bullpen made the lead stand.

Josh Ekness retired four consecutive batters over 1.1 innings with one strikeout. Michael Petersen struck out one in a scoreless seventh inning. Tyler Zuber got two outs in the eighth, and Faucher closed out the ninth without allowing a hit.

Jake Irvin (2-8) took the loss for Washington, allowing four runs on six hits with four strikeouts over six innings. Irvin issued a walk to Conine in the first, and Hernández walked in the fourth, but the damage came on home runs by Hernández and Marsee. Erik Tolman and Jake Bird each pitched a scoreless inning in relief for the Nationals.

Miami’s offense was paced by Marsee, who finished 2-for-4 with the home run and an RBI. Hernández went 1-for-3 with his solo shot. Otto Lopez had a single and two RBIs. Caissie doubled and scored in the first inning. Conine walked and scored, and Xavier Edwards contributed a bunt single in the seventh.

The Marlins outhit Washington 7 to 3. Miami pitchers combined for 10 strikes, 43 balls and 10 balls in play, while Washington pitchers recorded 15 strikes, 61 balls and 15 balls in play. The game lasted 2 hours, 42 minutes.

Washington’s loss dropped the Nationals to 61-70 on the season. Miami improved to 66-64. The victory also gave the Marlins a second consecutive win over Washington in this three-game series, following a 3-2 decision on Friday night. The teams will conclude the series on Sunday afternoon.

The key moment came in the fourth inning when Marsee stepped to the plate with one out and the Marlins holding a 3-1 lead. His solo home run to right field extended the margin to three runs and restored order after Washington had pulled within a single run the previous half-inning. The Nationals managed only a single run in the fifth and never threatened again, as Miami’s relievers set down the side in order in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings. Marsee’s homer proved to be the decisive blow in a game that featured little sustained offense from either side.

Washington’s best chance to rally came in the fifth after Pinckney singled and Lile reached on a fielder’s choice. Crews’ double brought home Lile, but Brady House flied out to right field to end the inning. From that point, Miami’s bullpen retired the next 13 batters in a row. Ekness, Petersen, Zuber and Faucher worked in sequence, with Faucher earning his second save by retiring the Nationals in order in the ninth.

For Miami, the win was a continuation of a home-heavy stretch that has kept the club in the wild-card race. The Marlins have now won four of their last five games, including two straight against Washington. Washington, meanwhile, has dropped six of its past seven contests and remains below .500.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Miami Marlins 4, Washington Nationals 3, and the Marlins won by exactly that margin. Interstat’s ELO system had given Miami a 57.40 percent probability to win, and Miami closed as a -1.5 favorite. The total score of six runs went over the over/under line of eight.