• Hero: Uggla hit his second and third home runs and doubled his RBI total (12) with the six he knocked in Sunday.
• Figure this: Cabrera's fifth home run traveled an estimated 467 feet and came on an 0-2 pitch.
• Quotable: "It's probably not the last time Miguel's going to beat me in a home run distance contest." -- Uggla
• Elias Says: It was only the third time in their last 489 home games (since April 19, 2001) that the Marlins hit as many as four home runs in a game.
-- ESPN.com news services
Marlins 12, Nationals 6
MIAMI (AP) -- Wes Obermueller was rewarded for giving the Florida
Marlins some much-needed innings in his return to the major
leagues.
Dan Uggla homered twice and drove in a career-high six runs, and
Obermueller earned his first major league victory in almost two
years to lead the Marlins to a 12-6 win over the Washington
Nationals on Sunday.
Miguel Cabrera hit a drive into the upper deck and Josh
Willingham also homered for Florida. Uggla had three hits.
"It was another dream come true," Obermueller said."This is
what you work for all that time, to get back."
Obermueller (1-0) allowed two runs and four hits in six-plus
innings. He walked four and struck out five. Kevin Gregg pitched
three innings to earn his first save.
"We won the game and gave the bullpen a rest," manager Fredi
Gonzalez said."[Obermueller and Gregg] knew what was at stake."
Obermueller had not pitched in the majors since Sept. 17, 2005,
with Milwaukee and his previous win came on May 17, 2005, at
Washington. The right-hander spent 2006 with Triple-A Richmond in
Atlanta's farm system and Orix of the Japanese League.
"They critique you real hard over in Japan, so you have to have
more inner strength," Obermueller said."That's one thing I've
needed."
Washington's Jerome Williams (0-4) gave up 10 runs, nine earned,
and nine hits in six innings. He walked four and struck out two.
"I told him before the game, we needed seven innings, I need an
effort," Nationals manager Manny Acta said."That's why I
appreciate what the kid did. I told him I felt sorry that he had to
take it for us, but he did take it for us. That's good. That's a
good sign."
Ryan Zimmerman hit his first career grand slam in the ninth
inning for the Nationals, his first homer of the season. Jesus
Flores had a two-run double in the seventh.
Cabrera homered with one out in the third to give Florida a 4-0
lead. Cabrera's fifth home run traveled an estimated 467 feet and
came on an 0-2 pitch. He was in the lineup after missing two games
with a stiff right torso.
"I wanted to go in," Williams said."I actually got part of
the plate, he put that ball in the upper deck. It's just mental. A
mental mistake."
Uggla's three-run homer in the fourth increased Florida's lead
to 7-0. Uggla's 466-foot homer was his second this season and
followed Obermueller's double and a walk to Hanley Ramirez.
"It's probably not the last time Miguel's going to beat me in a
home run distance contest," Uggla said.
Uggla's third homer was a two-run shot in the eighth.
The Marlins went ahead 10-0 on Willingham's two-run homer in the
sixth.
Notes
Acta pulled CF Ryan Church from the game in the second for
"not running hard" on a groundout to lead off the second. "I got
his message -- loud and clear," Church said. ... Ramirez has hit
safely in nine straight games. ... Gregg's save was his first since
April 23, 2004, while with the Angels. ... Flores had two doubles,
his first hits in the majors.