Nick Senzel home runs power Nationals’ comeback victory over Marlins

At the time, it seemed forgivable. The Nationals made sure it wasn’t.

Two innings, seven hits, nine runs and two Nick Senzel home runs later, it was Washington’s turn to elate. Unlike Jesse Winker’s towering grand slam the day before, Senzel’s fifth-inning, three-run blast was a screamer, gone in a flash. It put the Nationals ahead for good in a 12-9 victory at LoanDepot Park that was their largest road comeback win since they erased a 9-1 deficit against the Atlanta Braves on April 28, 2015.

Before the ball had left the yard, Senzel turned to the Nationals’ dugout, softly shrugged and smiled. It was his fifth homer in as many games.

“I don’t think we flinched. ... Everyone’s telling me I’m a home run hitter — I don’t feel like that,” Senzel said. “I’ve just been trying to take advantage of the mistakes they give me and stay aggressive. When you stay aggressive, good things happen.”

“It was madness,” center fielder Jacob Young said.

“They’re going to keep fighting,” Manager Dave Martinez said. “They fed. After every hit, after every run, you could see it. Every guy wanted to get up there and do the same thing.”

To say that three straight wins over the Marlins, who dropped to an MLB-worst 6-23, is a sign that the Nationals (13-14) are ready to contend for a playoff spot is a bit impulsive. To say that Winker and Senzel — veterans signed to one-year “prove it” deals — have mentored Washington from a team that’s young and scrappy to one capable of pulling out these sorts of wins, of building on momentum, of sustaining the sort of life that’s needed to survive a 162-game slog in which the Nationals were expected to be cellar dwellers and suddenly aren’t: That’s plenty fair now.

The Nationals used a few tropes to define how they did it. They all landed on relentless.

“This team just stays in the moment,” Senzel said. “Never getting too high or too low. I think that’s key in baseball because there’s going to be ebbs and flows and ups and downs. But when you just stay in the moment, I don’t think you get too down on yourself. You’ve just got to stay positive and fight like we did today.”

Before the game, Martinez moved his designated hitter up to No. 2 in the lineup. He did so partially as a testament to Senzel’s proclivity for hitting left-handers, partially as a reward for a strong week and partially as a pick-me-up for his difficult start to the season that included a broken thumb suffered two hours before Opening Day.

Now, powered by the bats and guidance from two players readily described as “intense” by Martinez — of the quieter variety from Senzel compared with Winker’s fiery gamesmanship — the Nationals have a chance to sweep this four-game series and reach .500 on Monday night.

“Those guys push our young guys to be good,” Martinez said. “I could say the same thing about [Eddie Rosario] with the Latin players — he’s worked really hard with [Luis García Jr.]. I love them all.”

Though Senzel provided the theatrics with his fourth- and fifth-inning homers, he was backed up by the rest of the bats: Every hitter reached base in what 48 hours ago looked like a stiff lineup. Young and CJ Abrams hit back-to-back doubles to bring home the Nationals’ first three runs of the five-run fourth inning before Senzel’s opening salvo, a two-run blast, made it 7-5. Young — hitting .500 in his past six games and perhaps providing roster complications once Victor Robles and Joey Gallo return from the injured list — drove in a run with a single in the fifth to cut the deficit to 7-6 before Senzel’s three-run homer, then added another RBI single in the eighth to put Washington up three. Alex Call, facing big league pitching for the first time this year, reached base in all five of his plate appearances and had an improbable outfield assist that prevented a likely Miami run.

After left-hander Patrick Corbin put the Nationals in a jam, all of that was pivotal. It was a break from their recent form — Nationals starters had allowed just 13 runs in 48 innings (a 2.44 ERA) in their previous nine starts. Corbin, though, struggled with location, leaving many first-inning strikes over the plate and balls in the dirt. Washington, and Corbin, looked finished after the inning, with three consecutive base runners and a Jazz Chisholm Jr. grand slam putting the Nationals behind 4-0 before Corbin recorded an out. After the inning, they were down six. In all, Corbin allowed seven runs (four earned) on eight hits.

It was his 111th start since the Nationals won the World Series in 2019 and his 50th time allowing at least four earned runs. Since then, he sports a 5.68 ERA. His ERA this season sits at 6.82. Still, he worked his way through an efficient third and fourth and then turned it over to the bullpen, which, buoyed by six outs from Derek Law and five from Hunter Harvey, survived several instances when the Marlins brought the tying run to the plate.

“This team doesn’t quit,” said Corbin, who conceded he didn’t have his best stuff. “I don’t think it’s in anyone’s nature. ... With eight innings left in a game, anything can happen. And you saw that today.”