MIAMI (AP) — Xavier Edwards tied the game with a homer in the seventh inning, Jakob Marsee hit a three-run homer in the eighth and the Florida Marlins rallied from down four runs to beat the Washington Nationals 8-7 on Saturday.
It was the Marlins' seventh comeback win of the season and their largest so far, passing a three-run rally against the Colorado Rockies on March 29.
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Washington Nationals pitcher Zack Littell (18) talks with catcher Drew Millas, left, during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Marlins' Joe Mack reacts after hitting a double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Washington Nationals' CJ Abrams is congratulated in the dugout after scoring on a sacrifice fly hit by Daylen Lile during the third inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Marlins' Kyle Stowers (28) runs the bases after hitting a two run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Marlins' Jakob Marsee, right, watches after hitting a three run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Kyle Stowers finished a triple shy of the cycle and Otto Lopez had a single and a double to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. Lopez's streak is now the longest in MLB after Jacob Wilson of the A's went hitless against the Baltimore Orioles.
Miami's comeback began in the fourth inning after Stowers hit a two-run homer to right that cut the lead in half. Owen Caissie added another on a sacrifice fly in the sixth, and Edwards' 422-foot solo homer in the seventh tied the game at 4-4.
Marsee found a hanging slider and sent it to the visiting bullpen in right to give the Marlins a 7-4 lead, and Leo Jiménez added a sacrifice fly to bring one more across.
After Michael Petersen got into trouble in the ninth and allowed three runs, John King came in for the final out and his first career save.
Miami starter Janson Junk struck out six in six innings, allowing seven hits and four runs. Andrew Nardi (3-2) earned the win in relief.
Mitchell Parker (2-1) allowed five hits and five runs in one inning of relief. Richard Lovelady threw two scoreless innings with three strikeouts as Washington's opener.
Washington RHP Cade Cavalli (1-2, 4.15) gets the start against Miami RHP Sandy Alcantara (3-2, 4.01) in the final game of the series.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
Washington Nationals pitcher Zack Littell (18) talks with catcher Drew Millas, left, during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Marlins' Joe Mack reacts after hitting a double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Washington Nationals' CJ Abrams is congratulated in the dugout after scoring on a sacrifice fly hit by Daylen Lile during the third inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Marlins' Kyle Stowers (28) runs the bases after hitting a two run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Marlins' Jakob Marsee, right, watches after hitting a three run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jackson Blake scored 5:28 into overtime for his second of the game, Logan Stankoven also scored in regulation and the Carolina Hurricanes finished a four-game sweep with a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the second straight season.
Frederik Andersen made 15 saves for Carolina, which has not lost in eight playoff games.
Alex Bump and Tyson Foerster scored for the Flyers.
Taylor Hall and Jaccob Slavin assisted the winning goal. Blake's shot from the slot bounced off Dan Vladar's glove and over the goal line.
“Once I saw it go in, just excitement,” Blake said.
Vladar stopped 37 shots for Philadelphia.
Carolina will play the winner of Buffalo and Montreal in the Eastern Conference finals after the NHL’s first 8-0 start in the playoffs since 1985.
“Everyone is chipping in; everyone is doing their job,” Hall said.
Andersen has started every game in the postseason, winning them all.
“He's just playing lights out,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said.
The Hurricanes, who reached the Eastern Conference finals for the third time in four years, are looking for their first Stanley Cup since 2006. Carolina is the 24th team in league history to win eight or more consecutive games during a playoff run. Eighteen of them have won the Stanley Cup.
“For me, it's just fun to sit back there and watch it, to be honest,” Brind'Amour said.
Philadelphia scored just five goals over the four games. After an unlikely berth in the playoffs, fans saluted the home team when it was over with chants of, “Let's go, Flyers!”
“I can't ask for more,” Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said.
Bump scored 5:52 into the third period to tie the game at 2-2.
Stankoven’s seventh tally of the playoffs 4:13 into the third period gave Carolina a 2-1 lead after he finished a beautiful cross-ice pass from Hall with a one-timer from just outside of the crease. Philadelphia evened the score 1:39 later when Bump shot past Andersen’s glove side from the slot after a setup from Travis Konecny from behind the net.
Blake tied it at 1-1 with 7:25 remaining in the second when his wrist shot from along the boards caromed off Philadelphia defenseman Jamie Drysdale and past Vladar. It appeared as if Carolina went in front just 28 seconds later when Mark Jankowski beat Vladar, but the goal was overturned following a challenge by Tocchet when officials ruled that Carolina’s William Carrier interfered with Vladar.
The Flyers had a pair of good chances late in the period to take the lead but could not convert. The best opportunity came in the final seconds of the period when Christian Dvorak’s wrist shot from close range went off the post on Andersen’s glove side.
Carolina finished regulation with a 36-15 advantage in shots.
Russian winger Matvei Michkov was a healthy scratch for the Flyers. Michkov, 23, was the No. 7 overall pick in 2023 by Philadelphia and was heralded as an important piece for the rebuilding franchise’s future. But the right wing has struggled thus far in his first playoff experience, garnering one point while accumulating a minus-3 in eight games. It is the second time he has been a healthy scratch this postseason, following Game 5 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL
Philadelphia Flyers' Sean Couturier, right, and Carolina Hurricanes' Sean Walker meet after Game 4 in a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Carolina Hurricanes' Jackson Blake, left, scores the game-winning goal past Philadelphia Flyers' Dan Vladar (80) and Rasmus Ristolainen (55) in overtime during Game 4 in a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series, Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Carolina Hurricanes' Jackson Blake (53), Nikolaj Ehlers (27) and Frederik Andersen (31) celebrate after Blake's game-winning goal in overtime during Game 4 in a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series, Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Carolina Hurricanes' Jackson Blake reacts after scoring the game-winning goal in overtime during Game 4 in a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers, Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia Flyers' Dan Vladar, right, cannot stop a goal by Carolina Hurricanes' Jackson Blake (not shown) as Flyers' Jamie Drysdale (9) and Hurricanes' Logan Stankoven, left, look on during the second period of Game 4 in a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia Flyers' Alex Bump, left, celebrates past Carolina Hurricanes' Jordan Martinook, center, and Sean Walker, right, after scoring a goal during the third period of Game 4 in a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Carolina Hurricanes' William Carrier, left, tries to get past Philadelphia Flyers' Oliver Bonk, right, during the third period of Game 4 in a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
