CJ Abrams homers as Nationals complete 4-game sweep of NL-worst Marlins with 7-2 win

MIAMI (AP) — CJ Abrams hit a two-run homer and the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 7-2 on Monday night, completing a four-game sweep of the NL’s worst club in front of a season-low 6,376 fans at loanDepot Park.

The Marlins (6-24), who made the playoffs last season, have lost seven straight, their worst skid since opening the season 0-9.

Jake Irvin (2-2) allowed two runs on four hits in six innings, bouncing back from allowing 12 hits and six runs to the Los Angeles Dodgers in his previous start.

“I’m just trying to make those guys earn it, throw strikes and get ahead,” Irvin said. “It makes my job easier when I do.”

Ildemaro Vargas had two hits and an RBI for the Nationals, who swept Miami over four games for the first time since Sept. 18-21, 2014.

Washington has won four straight for the second time since the start of 2022 and improved to 14-14, its first .500 mark since it was 1-1 on March 30. The Nationals have not been over .500 since July 1, 2021.

“The boys played well as a team, which I love,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “I keep saying this but they keep feeding off one another. If one guy doesn’t do it, the next guy is gonna go up there and do everything he can to get it done. It was like that this whole weekend.”

Abrams put the Nationals ahead 2-0 in the third. Alex Call hit a one-out double before Abrams connected off Trevor Rogers (0-4) for his seventh homer. The shortstop hit 18 homers last year in his first full season.

“I was just looking for my pitch,” Abrams said. “I got a little antsy first pitch of the game — swung at that one. Next AB, I got a pitch to hit and put a good swing on it.”

Marlins shortstop Tim Anderson exited after the third inning because of a mild left thumb sprain. Anderson and Call collided at second base when Call slid into the bag for his double.

Anderson was not the only Marlins starter who left early. Miami manager Skip Schumaker removed right fielder Jesús Sánchez in the fourth for what he said was “lack of effort” while fielding Call’s double.

“I have literally no rules except for giving me everything you have,” Schumaker said. “He lost the ball in the lights. I’ve lost the ball in the lights many times. After that, I felt like the effort wasn’t there. Sánchez plays hard. He’s a good kid. There’s teaching moments and he hurt himself and he hurt the team by me having to remove him from the game.”

The Nationals made it 3-0 when Rogers walked Jesse Winker with the bases loaded in the fifth.

Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s two-run homer in the sixth got the Marlins within 3-2 before the Washington broke it open with a four-run seventh against relievers Calvin Faucher and Andrew Nardi. Joey Meneses had an RBI double and Vargas a run-scoring single.

Rogers gave up three runs and four hits over five innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Nationals: RHP Cade Cavalli (right elbow surgery) threw live batting practice Monday and Martinez said he reached 95 mph. ... OF Victor Robles (left hamstring strain) will begin rehab games with Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday.

Marlins: LHP Jesús Luzardo (mild left flexor muscle strain) felt no discomfort after a throwing session Monday. Luzardo was placed on the injured list Friday after experiencing tightness in his left elbow. ... RHP JT Chargois (neck spasms) has been shut down and will undergo additional tests after a rehab outing with Triple-A Jacksonville Friday.

UP NEXT

Nationals: LHP MacKenzie Gore (2-2, 3.12) will start the opener of a three-game series at Texas on Tuesday. RHP Jon Gray (0-1, 2.92) will start for the Rangers.

Marlins: RHP Sixto Sánchez (0-1, 7.20) will start the opener of a three-game home series against Colorado on Tuesday. The Rockies will go with RHP Ryan Feltner (1-2, 5.68).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (5), center fielder Eddie Rosario (8) and second baseman Ildemaro Vargas (14) celebrate after their victory over the Miami Marlins in a baseball game, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Washington Nationals' Ildemaro Vargas follows through on an RBI single to score Joey Meneses during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Washington Nationals' CJ Abrams (5) runs into the home plate umpire as he scores on a wild throw by Miami Marlins pitcher Andrew Nardi during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Miami Marlins' Luis Arraez hits a double during the third inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Washington Nationals' Jacob Young hits a single during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Jake Irvin throws during the third inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Washington Nationals' CJ Abrams (5) is congratulated by Ildemaro Vargas (14) after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — An exhaustive rescue operation to find missing construction workers trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building in South Africa will end on Friday after nearly two weeks and with 19 people still unaccounted for, authorities said.

At least 33 people have been confirmed dead after the collapse of the unfinished five-story apartment complex in the city of George on the country's south coast on May 6.

That death toll is expected to ultimately increase to over 50 as it changes to a recovery and clear-up operation. The decision, announced by the George municipality and its disaster response unit, means rescuers don't expect to find anyone else alive in the debris and are presuming that the remaining 19 workers who have been missing for 12 days are dead.

The tragedy was one of South Africa's worst building collapses. Authorities say there were 81 workers on the site when the building came down. They say that 29 survivors were pulled from the rubble, with some of those still hospitalized.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the collapsed building on Thursday to show support for the victims' families, emergency workers and others who have been on the site for more than 250 hours, working night and day in shifts to try and find survivors.

More than 600 emergency responders and other personnel were part of the search in the days after the collapse, although that had been scaled down.

There were some remarkable stories of survival amid the thousands of tons of concrete that collapsed, including a man who was found alive after being trapped for six days without food and water. Rescuers said he incredibly had only minor injuries.

As the rescue operation ends, the building will be handed over to the national department of employment and labor to conduct an investigation into the collapse, city authorities said. There will be multiple other investigations, including by police and the provincial Western Cape government.

Many of the workers were foreign nationals from Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

The construction contractors responsible for the building have come under scrutiny and the investigations will probe whether they adhered to safety standards. The building was due to be completed in July or August.

AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

Rescue teams at the site of a building collapse in George, South Africa, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Rescue teams are into a third day searching for dozens of construction workers buried in the rubble of an unfinished five-story apartment building that collapsed in South Africa. (AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht)

Rescue personnel search the site of a building collapse in George, South Africa, Thursday, May 9, 2024. Rescue teams searching for dozens of construction workers missing after a multi-story apartment complex collapsed in the coastal city have not brought out more survivors in the past 24 hours. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

The scene of a collapsed building in George, South Africa, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Five workers have been killed with 49 still trapped after the building under construction collapsed Monday. (AP Photo)

Residents watch rescue workers search the site of a building collapse in George, South Africa, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Rescue teams are searching for dozens of construction workers missing after a multi-story apartment complex collapsed in the coastal city have brought out more survivors as the operation entered a second night of desperate work to find anyone alive in the mangled wreckage. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Emergency workers on the scene of a building collapse in the city of George, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Rescue teams trying to find dozens of construction workers missing since a multi-story apartment complex collapsed in a coastal city in South Africa have made contact with 11 people buried alive beneath the mangled wreckage, authorities said Tuesday. (AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht)

A survivor is bought to the surface at the scene of a building collapse in the city of George, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Rescue teams trying to find dozens of construction workers missing since a multi-story apartment complex collapsed in a coastal city in South Africa have made contact with 11 people buried alive beneath the mangled wreckage, authorities said Tuesday. (AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht)