WASHINGTON – Luis Garcia Jr. hit a three-run shot deep into center field in the seventh inning for his first career home run, helping the Washington Nationals rally for a 9-3 victory over the reeling Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night. -fair.
Garcia hit Erik Swanson’s 85 mph splitter for his second home run of the season, giving Washington a 4-3 lead. Nick Senzel added an RBI double in the inning.
“I came straight from hitting the cage,” Garcia said through a translator. “I wasn’t really trying to be too aggressive. I was just trying to focus on that at-bat to try to get an elevated pitch. Luckily he threw a splitter that hung a little and I was able to make good contact with him.”
The Nationals added four runs in the eighth, benefiting from two fielding errors. They have won six of their last eight games and are back to .500 at 16-16. It was their 11th comeback win of the season.
“We’re trying to get him to not chase,” coach Davey Martinez said. He is a high ball hitter. Trying to get him to think in the middle most of the time and stay in the middle of the field. He’s been very good at that. He’s doing well.”
With a 3-1 lead, the Blue Jays bullpen collapsed.
Swanson (0-2) and Tim Mayza combined to yield four runs on four hits, getting just one out, to ruin a quality start by Yusei Kikuchi. Reliever Génesis Cabrera allowed four runs in just two-thirds of an inning.
“Just leaving pitches in the zone,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said of Swanson. “I don’t know if he’s throwing his shots off balance, honestly. I’m not afraid to say this publicly. He’s better than he’s showing right now.”
Kikuchi allowed one run on six hits in six innings on 100 pitches. It is the fifth consecutive start that the left-hander has made six frames, equaling a similar streak in 2021.
The Japanese pitcher struck out seven times, including six of seven batters in the middle frames, and has now struck out just one in his last 22 innings.
The Blue Jays led 3-0 in the second, but have now lost three in a row and have lost eight of their last 11.
“Obviously, the last few games have been very difficult losses, but we are all preparing a lot and practicing behind the scenes,” Kikuchi said through a translator.
Daulton Varsho drilled two runs against Nationals starter Patrick Corbin.
Varsho’s double was the Blue Jays’ third extra base hit in their first seven at-bats against Corbin. George Springer added a sacrifice fly to left field to make it 3-0.
After a shaky second frame, Corbin finished with three runs allowed in six innings on six hits, throwing 61 of his 92 pitches for strikes. Jacob Barnes (2-0) got the win with an inning of shutout relief.
“Able to hold them to three and get out of a jam the next inning and then I felt really good afterward,” Corbin said. “It’s great to see the offense step up and put up some crooked numbers there late and get us back in the game.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: Schneider said RHP Alek Manoah (right shoulder) played sideline Friday and is “definitely in the mix” to start Sunday’s finale. The decision will be made within the next 24 hours.
Nationals: RHP Josiah Gray (right elbow) will throw a bullpen Saturday. CF Victor Robles (hamstring) continues rehab at Triple-A Syracuse. Joey Gallo (left shoulder) and LHP Robert Garcia (flu) begin rehab duties Saturday at Single-A Fredericksburg.
NEXT
Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman (1-3, 4.50) was scheduled to face RHP Jake Irvin (2-2, 4.28) on Saturday.
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