Cantu homers, drives in 5 as Marlins cruise past Nationals 11-3

Cantu powers Marlins past Nationals with 5 RBIs

MIAMI — Jorge Cantu doubled, homered and drove in five runs, and Cody Ross also doubled and homered to power the Florida Marlins past the Washington Nationals 11-3 on Saturday night.

Gaby Sanchez added his first career home run for the Marlins, who won for the fourth time in five games — and eighth in 10 — following a 2-hour, 34-minute rain delay at the game’s start.

Washington’s Justin Maxwell hit two solo homers for his first career multihomer game.

Tim Wood (1-0) pitched 1 1-3 scoreless innings in relief of starter Anibal Sanchez for his first career win.

Marco Estrada (0-1) pitched 2 1-3 innings in his first career start. He gave up five runs and three hits, walked three and struck out four.

Sanchez allowed two runs, six hits and four walks in 4 2-3 innings.

Cantu’s three-run homer in the first gave Florida a 3-0 lead.

Chris Coghlan opened with a single before Nick Johnson walked. After Hanley Ramirez struck out looking, Cantu sent Estrada’s 2-2 pitch into the seats over the left-center scoreboard.

Washington pulled within 3-1 when Maxwell led off the second with a homer to right. It was his first of the season, and third of his career.

Florida went ahead 5-1 in the third when Cantu doubled home Johnson and Ramirez with one out.

Adam Dunn doubled home Willie Harris in the fifth to make it 5-2. It was Dunn’s 99th RBI as he seeks his fifth season with 100 or more RBIs.

Ross and Gaby Sanchez, as a pinch hitter, homered in the sixth to help the Marlins build an 8-2 lead. Ross led off by lining Logan Kensing’s 1-1 pitch over the left-field scoreboard. After Brett Carroll singled, Sanchez lined a 1-1 pitch into the left-field seats.

Ross’s run-scoring double and Carroll’s sacrifice fly made it 10-2 in the seventh.

Maxwell hit his second homer off Matt Lindstrom with one out in the eighth.

Ramirez’s sacrifice fly in the eighth increased Florida’s lead to 11-3.

NOTES: The announced crowd of 38,214 was Florida’s third-largest of the season behind 46,427 vs. the Yankees on June 20, and 39,412 vs. the Mets on April 11. … Washington RF Elijah Dukes (stiff back) was in the original lineup before being replaced by Maxwell. … Estrada struck out the side looking — Ramirez, John Baker, Dan Uggla — in the first.