Miami Marlins at Washington Nationals

WASHINGTON – Daylen Lile is at it again. Hours after being named the National League Player of the Week, Lile hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning to pull the Nationals within one run of the Marlins. The shot into the visitors’ bullpen at Nationals Park was the first opposite-field homer of his Major League career. “I feel like it's there when it needs to be,” Lile said of his opposite-field power. “On something like that, I was just trying to shoot it the other way. Just hit it hard, and it just had a little lift on it. And you know, with the thick air tonight, I didn't think it was gonna go out. But yeah, when I saw it go out, I thought it was pretty cool.” But he wasn’t done yet. Two innings later, the 23-year-old outfielder hit a go-ahead, two-run homer off the 2019 World Series championship plaque in right field and into the Nationals’ bullpen. The long ball had an exit velocity of 106.7 mph and a Statcast-projected distance of 373 feet, igniting a four-run rally en route to a 6-3 Nationals victory and a series win over the Marlins. “It felt really good,” Lile said of his emotions when he put his team in the lead with his second homer of the night. “I know times have been hard, as a team, just like from every aspect of the game. And just to come through for the team felt really good, because I know there were a lot of opportunities early on in the season where I didn't capitalize. And today felt really good to come through for the team.” With his 19th and 20th home runs of the season, Lile now has four multi-homer games in his career, all coming this year. He finished the finale 3-for-3 with two homers, two runs scored, four RBIs and a walk. Lile was named NL Player of the Week on Monday after going 11-for-24 (.458) with two doubles, one triple, three home runs, 10 RBIs, five walks, seven runs scored and just three strikeouts in seven games from Aug. 24-30. He hit safely in six of the seven games.