WASHINGTON – The Miami Marlins have been followed by a television crew this season for a reality series that provides a behind-the-scenes look at the struggling club.
With the cameras rolling after an eighth-inning meltdown and another tough loss on Saturday night, Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen delivered an expletive-laden tirade that surely will make for interesting TV.
Miami blew a two-run lead and gave up six runs overall in the eighth as the Washington Nationals rallied for a 10-7 win. Relief pitcher Mike Dunn dropped an easy toss from first baseman Carlos Lee for an error that fueled the inning and led to six unearned runs.
Dunn's error came before two RBI singles, a three-run home run by Danny Espinosa, and a solo shot by Bryce Harper.
"There you go. There's the baseball game right there," Guillen said. "He gives up a home run, that's fine. But we do the same (stuff) every day, day-in and day-out. That's the reason why we practice that."
It's been a bizarre year for the Marlins, who have opened a new stadium, spent heavily on free agents and underperformed on the field. They traded slumping third baseman Hanley Ramirez to the Dodgers.
"The way we play all year along, that's a normal game for us. We find a way to lose no matter what," Guillen said. "I guess you better get used to it whether you're a coach or manager. Very, very weird. Funny the way we've been playing."
Washington trailed 6-4 heading into the eighth, but the Nationals tied it on run-scoring singles by Steve Lombardozzi and Tyler Moore against Dunn (0-1). Dunn allowed six unearned runs following his error. He dropped Lee's toss on Adam LaRoche's ground ball with one out.
Dunn, who hadn't allowed a home run in 32 appearances, said he regularly practices the play.
"One hundred times. Probably a million times," he said. "Every day. I'd like to know when the last time I dropped a ball like that. I don't know if I just took my concentration off for a split second and that was enough for me to drop it.
"You can put it on that, but I also had two outs and nobody scored. To give up six runs with two outs, that's just me letting the team down. We played good enough to win the game and I blew it, plain and simple."
Espinosa, who had committed two errors leading to Miami runs, hit his 10th homer of the season over the bullpen in left field. Harper followed with his 10th to make it 10-6.
Ryan Mattheus (4-1) pitched 1 2-3 innings for the win. Tyler Clippard allowed a run in the ninth.
LaRoche homered twice off Marlins starter Mark Buehrle, giving LaRoche 23 this season.
Buehrle hasn't won in four starts. He allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings.
Miami's Jose Reyes had three hits, scored four runs and stole two bases. His 23-game hitting streak is tied with the New York Yankees' Robinson Cano for the longest in the majors this season.
Jordan Zimmermann started for Washington and allowed five runs — four earned — and seven hits in five innings.
The Marlins broke a 3-3 tie in the fifth. Bryan Petersen led off with a single off Zimmermann, moved to second on Scott Cousins' sacrifice, and scored when Espinosa fielded Reyes' infield single and threw it away. Reyes stole second and scored on Lee's double.
Miami scored an unearned run in the seventh when Reyes led off with a walk, stole second, moved to third on an error by Lombardozzi and scored on a squeeze by Donovan Solano.
NOTES: The Marlins put 2B Emilio Bonifacio on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained left thumb. He reinjured the thumb on Friday. Miami purchased the contract of INF Nick Green from Triple-A New Orleans. ... Marlins INF Donnie Murphy missed his second game with a strained left hamstring. ... Miami OF Giancarlo Stanton, on the DL after right knee surgery, hit a home run in four at-bats in a rehab game with Class-A Jupiter. Guillen expects Stanton back when Miami plays in New York on Tuesday. ... Petersen had a season-high three hits. ... RHP Ricky Nolasco (8-10, 4.90) will pitch for the Marlins on Sunday against RHP Stephen Strasburg (11-5, 3.12).
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