Washington Nationals news & notes: Nats win finale, 7-6 over Cleveland Guardians; rally late to avoid sweep…

“I’d love to be out in those second half innings,” Davey Martinez said before the Washington Nationals’ three-game set finale against the Cleveland Guardians this weekend. [have] Someone hit a home run with the guys on base, but we had to keep doing little things, keep the game as close as possible, and hit one more than the others.

His club’s struggle with runners in scoring position was a glaring problem early in the season.

“The more I talk to young players, especially, the more I seem to get into their heads,” Martinez told reporters. We just try to tell them, “Hey, just be yourself.” If you have to think no one is on base, go hit and stay in the middle of the field. A ball in the middle of the field is a base hit.Played by an infielder, a grounder with less than two outs scores a run. right? So most of the time I try to keep it as simple as possible and stay in the middle of the field. A fly ball to the center, a sacrifice fly. So just keep it simple and say, ‘This is what you do, this is what you’ve always done. Please don’t overdo it.’ “

Late Sunday afternoon, as the Nationals tied 6-3 in the seventh inning, Luis Garcia hit a 2-2 slider high inside, 430 feet off lefty reliever Tim Herrin. . He hit two runs down the right, 6–5, and in the eighth inning home half, Stone Garrett started on the left for the first time since April 9, went on a leadoff single, and scored first. CJ Abrams walks Victor He sacks Robles He bunts him third and scores…you guessed it, Lane He sacks Thomas He flies to center field on a fly I caught up with a tie of 6-6.

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Garrett, who finished Day 2 with 4 RBIs in 2 at bats, smashed throw-ins from center with 9 RBIs in 16 at bats (.563 AVG) this season. Initially called, Martinez decided to challenge the play, the call was reversed and the game ended in a draw.

“I’m just on the field at that point,” Martinez said after the game. But we had to take our chances. [Third Base coach] Gary [DiSarcina] sent him and did a great job.

“Stone had a great jump, ran hard and was bang bang. They called right.”

“When I came in third, [DiSarcina] I knew I was going because I said I was going to challenge every single outfielder,” Garrett said. Words by Mark Zuckerman of MASN.

“He didn’t have to reassure me when the ball was in the air. I just watched him catch it and go.

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Dom Smith walked after a sack fly to extend the inning, and Joey Meneses stepped up in his next at-bat and hit an RBI single to right to put the home team ahead 7–6.

It wasn’t the cleanest of the last few days, but the Nats came out on top this time, winning their 2nd of 6 games and 5th of 16 games of the season. played overall.

When asked about the difference in hitters for the nuts this time, the manager said, “We were more aggressive. We were aggressive all day. We jumped on some fastballs.

“And I think continuing to look for fastballs and adapting to curveballs is key to our lineup.”

Patrick Corbin started for the Nationals in the finale, going 6 innings, allowing 5 hits, 4 runs, 2 earned runs, and striking out 4 on 96 pitches without walking anyone. Martinez pointed to his starter’s out as one of the keys to victory.

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“I’m very proud of Corbin fighting,” Martinez said.

“We missed a few plays we should have played. He fought through it and kept us in the game. Lewis hit a big home run against a left-hander, Meneses hit a big hit. So they played well.”

“They are playing with heart,” added the coach. “And they don’t give up. And I think they proved that today with practice at bat, good fielding, and pitching what they know they can do, which is to keep doing what they’re supposed to do until they throw strikes. It was one above the rest, which was great.”