Nationals 3, Marlins 2: Adam LaRoche hit an early two-run homer in support of Doug Fister, who earned his third straight victory as Washington won at Miami for the second straight night.

Denard Span recorded two hits, including an RBI single, as the Nationals improved to 10-3 in their last 13 games and took a 1 1/2-game lead on the Dodgers for the best record in the National League. Fister (15-6) gave up two runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings before Matt Thornton finished the seventh, Tyler Clippard breezed through the eighth and Drew Storen worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his eighth save.

Rookie Justin Bour hit his first major-league homer for the Marlins, who have dropped seven of 10. Tom Koehler (9-10) surrendered three runs and six hits, as well as four walks, in five innings.

LaRoche's mammoth two-run shot into the upper deck just four batters into the game got the Nationals off to a good start. Marcell Ozuna brought the Marlins within a run when he led off the second inning with a triple and trotted home on Bour's groundout.

Washington squandered a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the third, but the visitors tacked on a run in the fourth on Span's two-out RBI single to right field. Bour's towering homer - also an upper-deck blast - in the fourth cut Miami's deficit to 3-2, but the Marlins were unable to capitalize on baserunners in the fifth and seventh innings before Washington's bullpen combined to retire the final seven hitters it faced.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Marlins LF Christian Yelich went 0-for-4 as his 16-game home hitting streak came to an end. ... Washington LF Bryce Harper, who entered hitting .343 over his last 19 games, went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. ... Nationals RF Jayson Werth reached base three times on a single and two walks.