Azerbaijan holds a parliamentary election expected to retain the presidential party's dominance

Polls closed Sunday evening in Azerbaijan's snap parliamentary election, the first since it regained full control of a former breakaway territory in a lightning offensive last year.

Previous elections since independence from the Soviet Union in the 1990s have not been regarded as fully free or fair, and the vote for the Milli Mejlis parliament is not expected to bring significant changes to the body dominated by President Ilham Aliyev 's New Azerbaijan party.

Aliyev’s father, Haidar, ruled Azerbaijan from 1993 until he died in 2003, then Ilham took over. Both have ruled with a heavy hand, suppressing dissent as the country of almost 10 million people on the shores of the Caspian Sea basked in growing wealth from its huge oil and natural gas reserves.

The ruling party holds 69 of the 125 seats in the parliament, and most of the rest belong to small pro-government parties or independents. The Musavat party, the major opposition formation, put forward 34 election candidates but only 25 were registered. The Republican Alternative opposition party ran 12 candidates.

Under the constitution, the election should have been held this coming November, but Aliyev moved the date up by two months to avoid clashing with the United Nations climate talks, known as COP29, which will take place in the capital, Baku.

The election comes just short of a year after Azerbaijani forces reclaimed in a military operation the Karabakh region, which since 1994 had been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia, and forced out its self-declared government. Most of the region's 120,000 Armenian residents fled in the face of the offensive.

Azerbaijan's national election commission said 50 organizations would conduct observer missions. The largest observer contingent, from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, is scheduled to present its preliminary assessment on Monday.

FILE - Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev attends a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Baku, Azerbaijan, on March 6, 2024. (Dmitry Astakhov, Sputnik, Government Pool Photo via AP, File)

In this photo provided by the Azerbaijan's Presidential Press Office, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, his wife and Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva, center, and their daughter Leyla Aliyeva walk to pay tribute to Heydar Aliyev in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Azerbaijani Presidential Press Office via AP)

FILE - This file photo shows the Bibi Heybat Mosque with oil derricks in the background in Baku, Azerbaijan, on March 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel, File)

FILE - This file photo shows a general view of the city center of Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, on June 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)

FILE In this photo provided by Azerbaijan's Presidential Press Office on Oct. 15, 2023, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev kisses a national flag in the city of Aghdara, once under Armenian control in former breakaway territory Karabakh, Azerbaijan. (Azerbaijani Presidential Press Office via AP, File)

FILE - In this photo provided by the Azerbaijan's Presidential Press Office, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev speaks at a parade in Khankendi, capital of the former breakaway territory of Karabakh, Azerbaijan, on Nov. 8, 2023. (Azerbaijani Presidential Press Office via AP, File)

FILE - In this photo provided by the Azerbaijan's Presidential Press Office, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev speaks at a parade in Khankendi, capital of the former breakaway territory of Karabakh, Azerbaijan, on Nov. 8, 2023. (Azerbaijani Presidential Press Office via AP, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jose Tena had two hits including a home run, Patrick Corbin pitched six innings and the Washington Nationals beat the Miami Marlins 4-1 on Saturday.

Joey Gallo and Juan Yepez also homered for Washington, which has won three of four, and Keibert Ruiz had two hits.

Corbin (6-13) allowed a run on three hits with a walk and six strikeouts. He didn't allow a hit after the second inning and retired 13 of his last 15 batters. Corbin has won four of his past five starts, two of them against the Marlins, and has lowered his ERA by nearly half a run to 5.45.

“I think I've just kind of located a lot better, have gotten some more strikeouts which helps, keeps the ball out of the infield or out of the outfield where they can get hits,” Corbin said. “Not walking as many guys. Just a combination of all that and locating fastball and not really getting beat on that pitch as much."

Kyle Finnegan pitched the ninth for his 38th save, third most in the majors.

Otto Lopez had two hits and the lone RBI for the Marlins, who have lost five of six.

Miami starter Valente Bellozo (2-4) gave up three runs on six hits — two of them homers — over 5 1/3 innings.

“I thought he was good,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said of Bellozo. “Lot of strikes. Kept us in the game. The solo home run we can always live with. It's the walks and that type of thing that gets us trouble but I thought he didn't do any of that. He did really well."

Gallo tied the score 1-1 in the bottom of the second when he sent a 2-0 Bellozo pitch into the second deck in right.

Washington took a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Tena singled, stole second and scored on Ruiz's single over the first-base bag.

Tena made it 3-1 with one-out home run in the sixth, ending Bellozo's day.

“He’s a very, very good player overall, but a very good hitter,” Gallo said of Tena. “To hit that ball out ... it was like a curveball down and away and he’s able to hit it out to right center.”

Tena, 23, is 13-for-36 (.361) in his past nine games, hitting safely in eight of them. Since joining the Nationals on Aug. 10 from Triple-A Rochester he leads the team with 12 multi-hit games.

Yepez homered in the eighth.

The youthful Nationals are last in the National League with 125 homers in 148 games.

“We're hoping that some of these guys as they get more mature will be able to drive the ball a little bit more consistently,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “Right now it's just about working good at-bats, trying not to chase, teaching them how to get the ball in the zone more than anything.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: RHP Sandy Alcantara (Tommy John surgery) threw a bullpen session Saturday and is slated to throw live batting practice Tuesday in Miami.

Nationals: SS CJ Abrams missed his second straight game with a sore left shoulder.

UP NEXT

Miami RHP Adam Oller (1-3, 5.40 ERA) opposes Washington LHP MacKenzie Gore (8-12, 4.34), who allowed one run on one hit in six innings against the Marlins on Sept. 4, to close the series.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Miami Marlins starting pitcher Valente Bellozo throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Miami Marlins' Jonah Bride runs towards home to score a run on a single by Otto Lopez during the second inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals' Joey Gallo celebrates his home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals' Juan Yepez takes a lead from first base during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals shortstop Nasim Nunez leaps for a ball that went for a single by Miami Marlins' Javier Sanoja during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals shortstop Nasim Nunez blows a bubble as he stands on the field during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Patrick Corbin throws during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Patrick Corbin throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)