MIAMI — There are only so many absences an offense can take before its production falters, and the Nationals are learning that firsthand.

In the weeks after the trades of stalwarts Curtis Mead and Luis García Jr., the offense continued to put up high run totals. Even in a series loss against the Cubs, Washington scored at least six runs in all three games — without All-Star James Wood, who’s recovering from a mild oblique strain.

Add in the recent loss of All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams, and the attrition is beginning to be too much for Washington. Friday had the making of another squandered opportunity, not because the pitching was inadequate but because the offense didn’t score enough.

Daylen Lile came to the plate after Jacob Young’s two-out walk and subsequent steal put the tying run on base in the ninth inning. Lile entered Friday’s game scuffling, not resembling the hitter he was last season.

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Lile quickly fell behind 0-2 but battled to stay alive, fouling off three pitches and taking two balls. On the eighth pitch of the at-bat against Pete Fairbanks, Lile delivered a game-tying double.

Lile’s three-hit game was a big source of the Nationals’ offense as they lost 3-2 on a walk-off single by the Marlins’ Javier Sanoja.

The Nationals led 1-0 in the eighth inning when Tom Cosgrove allowed the game-tying run — he was also charged with the go-ahead run. But the offense’s lackluster showing ruined a strong pitching performance for Washington.

Given the lack of offensive punch, the margins are thin for the Nationals. They’ll need multiple players to step up, including Lile.

So, when Nasim Nuñez gets caught stealing third base in the sixth inning with Daylen Lile at the plate, that hurts.

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Will Dion wasn’t an unknown when the Nationals acquired him. The lefty went viral in 2022 when internet sleuths uncovered that he had a similar windup to Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw. But it’s far-fetched to compare Dion to Kershaw. Regardless, he has been effective since joining Washington.

Filling up the strike zone and limiting walks and barrels are characteristics most teams want in their pitchers, and Dion fits that bill.

A pitcher having immense success with a fastball that sits at 91.2 mph is usually a cause for concern that regression is inevitable, but Dion’s aggressiveness in the zone and strong command have quelled those concerns.

But the offense, a night after a 2-0 loss to the Rangers, couldn’t get much going.

Abrams is nearing a return and remains day to day after spraining an ankle, but the outlook on Wood looks murkier by the week. To stay afloat and continue playing competitive baseball, the Nationals need Lile to build on Friday’s performance.