In the first matchup of a sort of doubleheader in DC on Sunday afternoon, which began with the end of Saturday’s suspended games, CJ Abrams hit a game-winning single off New York reliever Stephen Nogosek in the bottom of the fourth.later Mets They came back in the top of the 3rd inning and caught up with a 1-1 tie.
With the away team leveling again in the top of the seventh, Abrams put the home team back in the lead with a 411-foot, 90 mph, 1-0 cutter from right-hander Dominic Leone to center field at Nationals Park. . We ended up winning 3-2.
“His game-winning home run,” Knotts wrote after Game 1.[was] In the match against the Mets (8th inning Grand Slam on April 27), he hit his second home run after the 7th inning of this season. ”
Whether it’s against the Mets or against other teams, Abrams said he’s happy to produce big hits.
“It doesn’t really matter who it is, really, it’s good for confidence. Let’s get things going. It’s good for the team. We’re winning, so let’s keep going.”
Abrams had 2-for-4, a home run, two RBIs, and one RBI in the win, and scored two runs in the Nationals’ 8-2 loss in Game 2 against the Mets in the afternoon.
Abrams currently leads the Nationals in batting in the season with 21 runs batted in, and after each game on Saturday, the manager spoke about what he saw from the 22-year-old shortstop, who finished the day with a .250 RBI average for the year. , up from .233 at the start of play on Saturday afternoon.
Davy Martinez said between games, “He’s been working hard to make his swing flatter, go through the zone more, stay in the zone, lay off pitches and swing on strikes.”
“If he can do that, he can hit the ball hard,” added the coach. “We’ve seen it. And he’s worked really hard. [Hitting Coach] Darnell [Coles] Just think about the swing trajectory and go straight to baseball. And today he was hit by two balls, both of which he hit hard.
“And if you can stabilize him in that way, I always said the pop is there, but you have to have that swing consistently in the zone as much as you can.”
Abrams said he and Coles have been working hard behind the scenes.
Photo Credit: Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
“I’m just simplifying in the cage,” he explained. “Stride direction is probably one of the most important things, and the right direct to the ball is working.”
What’s the key to Abrams’ consistency at bat?
“It’s a job,” Martinez said. “He keeps working. He really needs to understand who he is and what he wants to do there.
“Today was a good day for him and I hope he learns from it, builds from it and continues to do so.”
What the manager really likes, he said, is the shortstop’s composure in big at-bats before Abrams doubles in the Game 2 loss to the Mets.
“My main thing is that he doesn’t panic,” Martinez explained. “He’s who he is. He got there, he got there on time. I watched him, he came back early, he was stomping on his feet, and in fact he was Made the zone pass the bat very quickly.
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Photo Credit: Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
“I think there are some talented guys who want to hit the guys on base. He was pretty good at that. The other thing we were talking about was [GM Mike Rizzo] About that — how he’s the only guy, if you have to take a player from second base, he’s really good and really aware of trying to pull — with the ball over there Going and the biggest thing is that he really tried to take plus he tried to stay in the middle of the field, which is great. ”
Martinez said Abrams’s at-bat in the bottom of the eighth inning in Game 2 was particularly impressive, as Abrams remained focused even though the club was trailing seven by that point. He said.
“I love the last base I hit there,” he said. “He didn’t give a single at-bat against a left-handed pitcher.” [Zach Muckenhirn], drive the ball backwards and get more RBI and that’s great for him, but he’s been on time and he’s been staying at the top of baseball and that’s what we’re doing with him is what we have been working on. So he had a very good day today. So we have to keep him going. ”
