WASHINGTON - Right-hander Jordan Zimmermann was drafted out of a Division III school in Wisconsin by the Nationals in 2007 and made his major league debut with Washington two years later.

He is a pending free agent and Saturday, he made what might have been his next-to-last appearance at Nationals Park. Zimmermann got off to a rough start by allowing two runs in the first, but went six innings and got the victory as Washington won 5-2 over the Miami Marlins.

"I had to change my game plan," Zimmermann said of the shaky first inning. "I was flying open a little bit."

He got plenty of support from another pair of Washington draft picks.

Right fielder Bryce Harper recorded a two-run homer and three RBIs and seldom-used first baseman Tyler Moore added a solo homer and double.

"Opportunities have been sparse for him," Washington manager Matt Williams said of Moore. "He prepares himself."

Washington (77-71) pulled to within seven games of the first-place New York Mets in the National League East while the Marlins (64-85) fell to 28-46 on the road.

Zimmermann (13-8) allowed six hits and two runs with seven strikeouts and one walk in six innings. He has not lost at home since June 17 and has won five straight decisions at Nationals Park.

Harper hit his 41st homer - a two-run shot to right - to give the Nationals some insurance at 5-2 in the seventh. Fans chanted "MVP" as Harper was interviewed on the field after the game.

"He is not chasing any pitches. Now he is a lot more patient," Zimmermann said of Harper, compared to last year.

The Nationals scored three runs in the fifth to take the lead as Miami starter Brad Hand walked four batters in the inning.

Moore smashed a solo homer and later in the inning, Harper had a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded. Back-to-back walks to left fielder Jayson Werth and shortstop Ian Desmond made it 3-2.

Hand (4-7) fell to 0-8 in his career against Washington as he gave up three runs, four hits and six walks in 4 2/3 innings.

He lost his release point," Marlins manager Dan Jennings said. "Whether he was fatigued or not, I don't know. He started that inning at 49 pitches, I think. So, I knew he wasn't overworked, it just seemed like he lost his release point there after the walk started.

"I thought he had his best stuff against Harper, and gave up a sac fly, but he made some outstanding pitches. And then the two walks after that were tough. I probably should've went and got him. I probably stayed a batter too late."

Said Hand: "The first four innings I felt pretty good. I just kinda lost feel for my fastball, couldn't throw it for strikes. I had a chance to get out of that inning with the ballgame tied after getting Harper, and just lost it in that inning."

Miami grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning as left fielder Christian Yelich delivered an RBI double and first baseman Justin Bour produced an RBI single off Zimmermann, who managed to survive some early hard-hit outs.

Washington reliever Blake Treinen came on the eighth with no outs and two runners on and induced a double play grounder off the bat of center fielder Marcell Ozuna. Treinen struck out third baseman Derek Dietrich with a runner on third to end the threat.

"He is getting more and more accustomed to that role," Williams said of Treinen.

Closer Jonathan Papelbon, who had blown his last two save chances, pitched the ninth for his 24th save and seventh with Washington. He got a double play grounder to end the game with runners on first and third.

Bour, a product of nearby George Mason University, had three singles in four at-bats and Yelich, catcher J.T. Realmuto and shortstop Miguel Rojas had two hits for the Marlins.

NOTES: Washington RHP Stephen Strasburg (9-7, 3.98 ERA) will face Miami LHP Justin Nicolino (3-3, 3.81) in the series finale Sunday. ... Nationals OF Bryce Harper leads the majors with a .340 batting average and Marlins 2B Dee Gordon (.332) is second in the NL and third in the majors. Gordon has an 11-game hitting streak at Nationals Park. ... It has been nearly one year since Washington RHP Jordan Zimmermann, the starter for the Nationals on Saturday, threw a no-hitter at Nationals Park against the Marlins -- on Sept. 28, 2014, in the regular-season finale. ... Miami LHP Brad Hand, the other Saturday starter, was 0-7 with an ERA of 7.97 in his previous 11 games, with nine starts, against Washington.