Max Scherzer took the major league lead with 16 wins as the Washington Nationals defeated the visiting Miami Marlins 8-2 on Friday night.

Ryan Zimmerman and Matt Wieters homered for the Nationals, who pushed past .500 at 62-61. Scherzer helped his cause by scoring two runs and stroking a double, setting a career high with 16 hits this season.

On the mound, Scherzer (16-5), who also leads the majors in strikeouts, had another strong performance. He allowed five hits, one walk and no runs in six innings, striking out seven. His 96 pitches were his lowest total of the year.

Dan Straily (4-6) took the loss, allowing nine hits and five runs in six innings.

Miami has lost 15 of 17 games, including six straight. The Marlins also have lost 12 consecutive road games.

Washington opened the scoring in the second when Zimmerman jumped on a 1-0 fastball, pulling it to left. It was his 10th homer of the season and his fourth in the last 12 games. The Nationals extended their lead to 2-0 in the third. Bryce Harper hit an RBI single, driving in Scherzer from second.

With two outs and no one on in the fourth, Wieters pulled his fifth homer of the season to right. Scherzer then hit a double that one-hopped the wall in left, and he scored when Adam Eaton's drive to left-center popped out of the glove of Magneuris Sierra, who made a diving attempt. Eaton's shot was ruled a double.

Washington took a 5-0 lead in the fifth. Harper hit a routine single to center and took second when Sierra did not charge the ball. It was ruled a double. Harper took third on a bounced wild pitch and scored on Anthony Rendon's sacrifice fly.

With reliever Trevor Gott in the game to start the seventh, Miami scored twice. Marlins left fielder Austin Dean, playing in his second major league game, homered to left on a 2-0 count, smoking a 94 mph fastball. It was his sixth big league at-bat and his first hit.

Pinch hitter Miguel Rojas capped the rally with an RBI single.

But the Nationals put away the game with three runs in the seventh, getting RBI singles from Harper, Rendon and Juan Soto.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly was ejected in the fourth inning after he argued a called third strike on Miami batter Derek Dietrich.

--Field Level Media