Washington Nationals news & notes: Joey Gallo & Joey Meneses at the plate + more…

Move Garo:

Manager Davey Martinez used Joey Gallo as the seventh batter in the Nationals’ lineup (as he had done throughout the series) in Wednesday’s series finale against the Twins, and the slugger went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in key moments to end up as the losing pitcher.

In his first at-bat, Gallo hit a fly to right field with runners on base and two outs, in his second at-bat he hit a fly to right field with runners on base and two outs, in his third at-bat he struck out looking with runners on base and no outs, and in his final at-bat he swung and missed with runners in scoring position, but the team lost 3-2.

Since returning after missing 17 games with an AC sprain in his right shoulder, Gallo has slashed 21 for 3 in 23 at-bats (.143/.217/.191) with one double, one walk and 11 strikeouts.

“I felt like my shoulder was affecting my hitting a little bit,” Gallo explained after returning from rehab. “I didn’t think it was fair to my team or to me, so that’s one of the reasons I felt like it would be good to take some time off and get back to full fitness so I can impact the game the way I know I can.”

Gallo was asked if he viewed this as a chance for a fresh start, given that he started the season with a .122/.286/.311 batting average in 23 games and 91 at-bats in March and April.

“I guess it’s about starting over again. We’re not really starting over again,” Gallo said.

“Obviously, you never know what the scoreboard’s going to look like, but for me, I just want to go out there and play, enjoy the game and help my team win in whatever way I can.”

“The great thing about Gallo is when he’s on a roll, he walks batters and he hits home runs,” manager Davey Martinez said after Wednesday’s loss.And he has been in scoring position, with 2 hits in 25 at-bats in 30 at-bats this season for a .080 batting average/.233 on-base percentage/.240 slugging percentage with 1 double, 1 home run, 5 walks, 14 strikeouts and RISP.).

Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images

Joey Meneses homered in the ninth inning of the series finale in Washington, D.C., to bring the lead to within one run, and Gallo gave the home team a chance to win with one runner on.

“In certain situations, he can step up to bat and end the game right there,” Martinez said. “That’s just his personality, so we knew that when we got him. We wanted him to get going and we’re starting to see that. I think the key is going to be getting walks. He’s got to get walks. He’s been chasing a little bit, but he’s got to learn how to get walks and then when he gets a good pitch that he can hit, he’s going to foul it back. So it seems to me that he’s got to start hitting on time and hitting the ball first up.”

Menstruation:

Joey Meneses hit a 2-1 split ball 393 feet and over 101 mph to left field off Twins closer Joan Duran in the bottom of the ninth inning on Wednesday afternoon for his second home run in 43 games and 187 at-bats.

During Davey Martinez’s post-game press conference, his manager told reporters that a home run like this would help the slugger build some confidence after a slow start offensively this season.

Although Meneses only had two hits in four at-bats, he recorded 39 hits in 167 at-bats (.234 batting average, .300 on-base percentage, .299 slugging percentage) in 43 games and 187 at-bats, with two home runs, five doubles, 15 walks, and 37 strikeouts.

“He’s started swinging the bat well. It’s not easy to hit. Duran, he’s a really good player. [Meneses] It was definitely great to see them connect like that and hopefully they can keep it going in the next game.”

Of course, Gallo and Meneses aren’t the only team struggling offensively. The Nationals have a solid pitching staff, but they’ve been inconsistent offensively, going 7-12 so far in May (after going 14-15 in March/April to start the season). What do they need to do to finish May strong?

Jeff Burke – USA TODAY Sports

“We’ve got to be a little more aggressive in our approach in the zone,” Martinez said. “We’ve got to stop chasing. Our shortstop is [CJ Abrams is] We have to chase him a lot. We have to get him back in the zone and swing at strikes. I need him on base. And I need the other guys to get on base. [Ruiz] We were a little off. But like I said, when you get one or two guys to get a hit, it’s infectious and it gets everybody going. So we just have to keep it going. Get on base. Guys start to feel confident. We score early, guys start to relax a little bit. And we’re going to score. It didn’t happen today, but we’ve got to come back on Friday. We’ve got to be ready because a good team is coming. Seattle, we’ve got to be ready to play.”

The Nationals could get a boost if Lane Thomas returns to the lineup after a rehab stint, but Martinez declined to say whether Thomas would return tonight.

“I don’t know. I’ll check on him. I want to make sure he’s ready to go.”