Miami got two runs in the seventh off the Washington bullpen in a 4-3 win over the first-place Nats Monday night.
The Nationals (88-61) have now lost three straight, but still saw their magic number to clinch the NL East drop to five with the second-place New York Mets losing to Atlanta.
A Danny Espinosa three-run homer, his career-high 22nd of the season, gave Washington a 3-2 lead in the fifth.
Mat Latos (1-1, 5.63 ERA, 1.46 WHIP) walked Giancarlo Stanton to lead off the bottom of the sixth, then Justin Bour dropped a bunt single down the third-base line against a defensive shift.
A Derek Dietrich RBI double tied the game at 3-3, and an Ichiro Suzuki fielder’s choice put the Marlins ahead to stay.