Marlins starting pitcher Henderson Alvarez pitched much better in his second outing of the season Tuesday against the Nationals, but received little help from his teammates in a 5-0 loss.
Alvarez allowed just one earned run in the first inning, though that would prove to be all the Nationals needed as the Marlins' offense proved dormant. He was tagged for two more unearned runs following an error by Jeff Baker in the sixth inning.
Alvarez was charged with three runs -- one earned -- on six hits and a pair of walks in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four and threw 50 of 80 pitches for strikes.
Alvarez is 0-2 with a 4.15 ERA after two starts, though he has had five unearned runs score against him as well. He will try to get back on track in his next start, set for Sunday in Philadelphia.