Marlins capitalize, edge Nats to gain in race

MIAMI — After playing each other 13 times during the first seven weeks of the season, the Marlins and Nationals were meeting for the first time since May. Washington is now closing in on the National League East crown, while Miami’s recent struggles have the club hanging on to the fringes of the NL Wild Card race.

The Marlins used an early mammoth home run from Giancarlo Stanton and were aided by two Nationals miscues to score twice in the sixth inning and come away with a 4-3 victory Monday night at Marlins Park. Trea Turner misplayed a ball hit by Derek Dietrich into a run-scoring double. Then the next batter, Ichiro Suzuki, hit a grounder toward second baseman Wilmer Difo, whose errant throw home was not in time before the go-ahead run scored.

The Nationals got a leadoff double from Wilson Ramos in the ninth against closer A.J. Ramos, but Dee Gordon threw out pinch-runner Michael Taylor at third on Ryan Zimmerman’s fielder’s choice before pinch-hitters Bryce Harper (mental day off) and Daniel Murphy (sore left leg) flied out to end the game, giving Ramos his 38th save. Danny Espinosa provided a lead for the Nats with a three-run home run in the fifth.

• Dee-nied: Gordon saves game with alert play

Washington’s magic number to clinch the NL East, however fell to five, after the second-place Mets lost to the Braves.

“We made a couple mistakes during the game,” Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. “We had opportunities to win that game and take the lead, and we didn’t get it done.”

• Nationals unable to come through in pinch

With 12 games remaining, the Marlins moved within four of the Giants and Cardinals for the second Wild Card spot.

“For us, the Nationals are obviously the team in first place, but they’re not really the team that we’re chasing,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “They ran away from us, but we are, in a sense, in the other part of it. Again, life support for us is win every day. If we can do that, and really force everyone else to have to win games …”

The game marked the return of Wei-Yin Chen to the Marlins’ rotation. The lefty, on the disabled list with a left elbow sprain, hadn’t pitched since July 20, and Miami felt if he went five innings, it would be a bonus. He lasted 4 1/3, exiting after Espinosa’s …

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