as an undrafted college free agent with Dalla

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Mark Reynolds may have sent his manager toward a sleepless night.

How is Dave Martinez supposed to rest when he’s got to figure out whether Reynolds’ career night earned him another start Sunday?

”Well , I mean I’m going to sleep just fine. That’s his problem,” Reynolds joked afterward. ”I’ll be ready to go either way.”

Reynolds homered twice and drove in a career-high 10 runs, Max Scherzer won for the first time since June 5, and the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 18-4 on Saturday night.

Martinez said he’ll have to think about where to put the right-handed hitting Reynolds when the Marlins start a right-hander on Sunday. Martinez has other options at first base, including left-handed hitters Matt Adams and Daniel Murphy.

Washington has won three straight and scored a combined 35 runs since calling a players-only meeting on Wednesday after falling under .500 for the first time since May 2.

Reynolds (5 for 5) tied his career high for hits and equaled the Nationals’ RBI record.

Reynolds hit a two-run homer in the second inning into the same visitors’ bullpen where his walk-off homer landed on Friday. He followed that up with an RBI double in the second, a two-run single in the fifth, a three-run homer in the sixth, and a two-run single in the seventh.

”Yeah , that’s like a good two weeks,” Reynolds said. ”These things don’t happen often.”

Signed as minor league free agent in April, Reynolds is 12 for 23 with four home runs since June 29.

”I’ve seen him like this,” Martinez said. ”When he gets hot like this he can stay hot for a while, so we’ll have to figure something out, see if we can get him in tomorrow.”

Washington, which has won 14 straight against Miami, broke it open by batting around the order and scoring a season-best seven runs in the fifth inning.

”We haven’t had any success with them in a while now ,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. ”They’re a good lineup up and down, but we’ve pitched better than this.”

Scherzer (11-5), who was 0-4 in his previous five starts, pitched seven innings, allowing four runs on four hits – three of which were home runs. The Nationals had been shut out in three of Scherzer’s previous five starts.

Miami starter Wei-Yin Chen (2-6) lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs on seven hits.

Bryce Harper had three hits and an intentional walk.

Starlin Castro and J.T. Realmuto hit the first back-to-back home runs of the season for the Marlins in the fourth inning. Yadiel Rivera hit his first homer of the season in the seventh.

STREAK SNAPPED

The Marlins were 9-0 this season in games in which Realmuto homered before Saturday night.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: OF Brian Anderson was out of the lineup for the first time this season. After playing in Miami’s first 90 games, Mattingly said it was time for a breather. … Mattingly said OF Lewis Brinson (right hip) is still sore and ”doing a little treatment, and that’s all.”

Nationals: Martinez said RHP Stephen Strasburg (shoulder inflammation) is scheduled to go on a rehab assignment Tuesday with the goal of throwing 50-60 pitches. … OF Victor Robles (hyperextended left elbow) and RHP Koda Glover (right shoulder tendinitis) both played in a Gulf Coast League game Friday. Martinez said Glover is ”progressing well” but that he wouldn’t be pitching in back-to-back games. … C Matt Wieters (left hamstring strain) went 1 for 4 in a rehab start with Double-A Harrisburg and is expected to play again on Sunday before being re-evaluated.

UP NEXT

Marlins: Rookie RHP Trevor Richards (2-5 , 5.26 ERA) makes his first start against the Nationals in the series finale.

Nationals: RHP Tanner Roark (3-10, 4.60 ERA) is looking for his first win since June 6. Roark is 5-8 with a 3.99 ERA in 22 games against the Marlins.

The Dolphins needed roster spots after claiming quarterback Luke Falk and receiver Tanner McEvoy off waivers. They announced their moves Sunday, placing center Jake Brendel and linebacker Mike Hull on injured reserve and releasing offensive tackle Sam Young.

Brendel played all 16 games for Miami in 2017 and appeared in one regular-season and one playoff game for the team in 2016. The Dolphins initially signed him to the practice squad on Oct. 11, 2016, before promoting him to the active roster on Nov. 19, 2016.

Brendel entered the NFL as an undrafted college free agent with Dallas on May 6, 2016.

Hull played all 32 games for the Dolphins the past two seasons and appeared in three games with the team in 2015. He has four career starts and has made 42 tackles, one interception , one pass defensed, one fumble recovery and 27 special teams tackles in his career.

Hull entered the NFL as an undrafted college free agent with Miami on May 8, 2015.

Young has played in 76 games, with 20 starts, since the Cowboys made him a sixth-round pick in 2010. He played in 18 games with seven starts for Miami the past two seasons after signing as an unrestricted free agent from Jacksonville.