Graham Pauley drives in 4 as the Marlins beat the Royals 6-3

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Graham Pauley homered and tripled to drive in four runs, Kyle Stowers also went deep, and the Miami Marlins rolled past the Kansas City Royals 6-3 on Tuesday night.

Tyler Phillips (4-6) threw five innings of one-hit ball for the Marlins, striking out four and walking two. Three relievers combined to give up five hits with two strikeouts, with Tyler Zuber finishing off the ninth.

Pauley, recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville ahead of the game — his fifth call-up of the year — hit his second major league homer of the season in the second, a two-run shot to right.

Stowers added a 412-footer to right in the fifth to make it a three-run game.

Pauley's first triple of the season drove in two more and sent Royals starter Randy Dobnak (2-3) to the dugout in the seventh. Javier Sanoja got Pauley across with a single to make it 6-0.

Dobnak went six-plus innings and allowed seven hits and six runs while striking out six and walking two.

Kansas City began a rally in the eighth as Carter Jensen hit an RBI double and Bobby Witt Jr. hit a sacrifice fly.

Royals manager Matt Quatraro was ejected in the eighth inning after the Royals were initially granted a run-scoring balk to make it a three-run game, but it was reversed after the umpires discussed the call.

The Royals got one more on Nick Loftin's homer in the ninth.

The Marlins remain three games behind San Diego for the final NL wild card.

Marlins RHP Eury Pérez (7-10, 3.44 ERA) starts Wednesday opposite LHP Noah Cameron (9-8, 3.98).

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Miami Marlins starting pitcher Tyler Phillips throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Randy Dobnak throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Miami Marlins' Kyle Stowers, right, crosses the plate to score after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Miami Marlins' Graham Pauley celebrates with Owen Caissie after hitting a two-run home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Yohandy Morales homered in his first major league game and Jared Simpson earned the win in relief in his own debut, helping the Washington Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 9-5 on Tuesday night.

The Nationals called up Morales and Simpson before the game, with major league rosters expanding from 26 to 28. After striking out his first time up, Morales hit a solo shot in the third inning. Simpson (1-0) entered in the fifth with Washington up 5-2 and induced a double play and a flyout after inheriting a first-and-second, nobody-out situation.

Then he worked two more perfect innings.

The 24-year-old Morales, who hit 25 homers for Triple-A Rochester this year, also singled and doubled in an impressive debut.

AJ Smith-Shawver (0-1) allowed five runs and six hits in four innings. Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II homered for the Braves, whose lead over Philadelphia atop the NL East dropped to 3 1/2 games, with the Phillies playing at Arizona later Tuesday.

Albies homered for the Braves in the second, but Washington answered with four runs in the bottom half. CJ Abrams hit a two-run single with two outs, and Brady House added a two-run double.

Drake Baldwin doubled home a run in the third for Atlanta. Morales went deep leading off the bottom half.

Morales doubled to lead off the seventh, when the Nationals added two more runs. Reliever Brent Suter threw wildly to first on a pickoff attempt for an error, allowing a run to score from third. Then Jacob Young hit an RBI single to make it 8-2.

The 26-year-old Simpson had a 2.30 ERA in 58 2/3 innings at Double-A and Triple-A this year. He faced eight batters and got nine outs, striking out three.

The Braves called up veteran infielder Kyle Farmer and 25-year-old right-hander Blake Burkhalter. Burkhalter made his big league debut in the sixth, allowing one run.

Grant Holmes (9-5, 3.71 ERA) pitches for the Braves on Wednesday against the Nationals' Brad Lord (5-2, 3.75).

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Washington Nationals' Yohandy Morales (28) celebrates his home run with Brady House, right, during the third inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. gets ready before a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Atlanta Braves pitcher AJ Smith-Shawver throws during the third inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals' Yohandy Morales, right, celebrates his home run with Abimelec Ortiz (81) during the third inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals' Yohandy Morales hits a home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)