WASHINGTON (AP) — Luis Garcia Jr. hit a three-run shot deep to center field in the seventh inning for his first career pinch-hit home run, helping the Washington Nationals rally for a 9-3 victory over the reeling Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.
Garcia connected on Erik Swanson’s 85-mph splitter for his second homer of the season to give Washington a 4-3 lead. Nick Senzel added an RBI double in the inning.
“I came just straight from hitting in the cage," Garcia said though a translator. "I was actually not trying to be too aggressive. I was just trying to focus on that at-bat to try to get pitch that was elevated. Fortunately he threw a splitter that hung a little bit and it was up and I was able to make good contact with it.”
The Nationals added four runs in the eighth, benefitting from two fielding errors. They have won six of their last eight to get back to .500 at 16-16. It was their 11th comeback win of the season.
“We are trying to get him not to chase," said manager Davey Martinez. "That’s the biggest thing. He is a high ball hitter. Trying to get him to think middle in for the most part and stay in the middle of the field. He’s been really good at doing that. He is doing well.”
Staked to a 3-1 lead, the Blue Jays' bullpen collapsed.
Swanson (0-2) and Tim Mayza combined to surrender four runs on four hits, getting just one out, to ruin a quality start from Yusei Kikuchi. Reliever Génesis Cabrera allowed four runs in just two-thirds on an inning.
“Just leaving pitches up in the zone," Blue Jays manager John Schneider said about Swanson. "I don’t know if he’s tipping pitches, honestly. I’m not afraid to say that publicly. He’s better than what he is showing right now.”
Kikuchi allowed one run on six hits over six innings on 100 pitches. It is the fifth consecutive start that the left-hander has gone six frames, matching a similar run in 2021.
The Japanese pitcher struck out seven, including six of seven batters in the middle frames, and has now walked only one batter in his last 22 innings.
The Blue Jays led 3-0 in the second but have now lost three in a row and lost eight of their last 11.
“Obviously, the last few games have been pretty tough losses but we are all preparing really hard and practicing behind the scenes," Kikuchi said through a translator. "I trust we are going to turn it around sometime soon.”
Daulton Varsho drilled a two-run double off 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 over six innings on six hits, throwing 61 of his 92 pitches for strikes. Jacob Barnes (2-0) got the victory with an inning of shutout relief.
“Able to hold them to three there and get out of a jam in the next inning and then I felt really good after," Corbin said. "Just 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) threw a side Friday and “is definitely in the mix” to start Sunday’s finale. A decision will be made in the next 24 hours.
Nationals: RHP Josiah Gray (right elbow) will throw a bullpen Saturday. CF Victor Robles (hamstring) continues rehabbing with Triple-A Syracuse. Joey Gallo (left shoulder) and LHP Robert Garcia (flu) begin rehab assignments Saturday at Single-A Fredericksburg.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman (1-3, 4.50) was set to face RHP Jake Irvin (2-2, 4.28) on Saturday.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Toronto Blue Jays Vladimir Guerrero Jr., left, slides into second base for a double during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
Toronto Blue Jays staring pitcher Yusei Kikuchi throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
Toronto Blue Jays staring pitcher Yusei Kikuchi throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals Friday, May 3, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
Washington Nationals pitcher Patrick Corbin throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
PHOENIX (AP) — Javier Báez broke out of a season-long slump with five RBIs, Tarik Skubal pitched six dominant innings and the Detroit Tigers pounded the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-0 on Friday night.
Coming off consecutive shutouts against Florida, the Tigers roughed up Rhyne Nelson (2-3) with three runs in the third inning and added six more in the fifth while chasing the Arizona right-hander. Detroit had 11 runs by the fifth inning and finished with a season-high 17 hits — seven for extra bases, but no homers.
“We’ve obviously been waiting and hoping for a night like that and it came together at a good time for us,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “We’ve done this before and this is a good version of us, but one good at-bat after another, it’s pretty awesome to see. It's contagious."
Hinch insisted he was going to keep sending Báez out despite the shortstop’s meager .167 batting average. Báez rewarded him with a 3-for-4 night that included a pair of two-run doubles and a run-scoring single.
He wasn’t alone in Detroit’s hit fest.
Kerry Carpenter had four RBIs and Colt Keith went 4 for 5 with two RBIs. Wenceel Pérez and Riley Greene also had run-scoring hits.
“We did a good job of just directing the ball wherever he pitched it,” Hinch said. “We didn’t try to hit the ball out of the ballpark.”
It was more than enough for Skubal (6-0), who dominated despite fighting early nerves with numerous friends and family in attendance.
The left-hander who played high school ball in Kingman, Arizona, took a perfect game into the fifth inning and allowed one hit with six strikeouts in a combined three-hitter.
Skubal didn't allow a baserunner until Randal Grichuk's one-out double off the wall in the fifth inning and left with the Tigers leading 13-0.
“I was probably a little amped up, a little nervous, but it's all good,” Skubal said.
Not for Arizona.
The reigning NL champions appeared to be headed in the right direction, winning seven of their previous 10 games.
The Diamondbacks fell into a huge hole after Nelson's worst outing of the season and couldn't muster much of anything against Skubal, getting two of their three hits in the eighth inning.
Arizona’s lone bright spot: Ketel Marte singled in the ninth inning to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 16 games.
“The one good thing about today is that it's over,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said.
Nelson was solid in his last outing, but it didn't carry over against the Tigers. The right-hander allowed eight runs on 11 hits in four innings in his worst outing of the season.
“I think he just misfired some pitches in the middle of the zone,” Lovullo said. “I think that's the common denominator: When he's good, he's hitting lines, when he's not he's missing in the zone — and he paid for that tonight.”
TRAINER'S TABLE
Tigers: RHP Kenta Maeda (illness) will begin his rehab assignment for Triple-A Toledo on Sunday. ... RHP Shelby Miller (ulnar nerve irritation) underwent a hydrodissection procedure earlier this week and played light catch as part of his rehab.
Diamondbacks: OF Alek Thomas has resumed baseball activities and feels no soreness in his left hamstring. ... SS Geraldo Perdomo took live at-bats at Arizona's spring training facility as he works his way back from a torn meniscus.
UP NEXT
Arizona RHP Zac Gallen (5-2, 2.86 ERA) tries for his sixth win in the middle game of the series against Detroit RHP Jack Flaherty (0-3, 3.88).
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, right, takes the baseball from starting pitcher Ryne Nelson, left, during the fourth inning of the team's baseball game against the Detroit Tigers on Friday, May 17, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Ryne Nelson throws to a Detroit Tigers batter during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 17, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Detroit Tigers third baseman Matt Vierling throws to first base for the out on Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte, while shortstop Javier Báez (28) watches during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 17, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Detroit Tigers' Kerry Carpenter (30) celebrates after his two-run triple as he stands between Tigers third base coach Joey Cora (56) and Arizona Diamondbacks third base Eugenio Suárez, right, during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, May 17, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Detroit Tigers' Colt Keith connects for a run-scoring single against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, May 17, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal throws to an Arizona Diamondbacks batter during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 17, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
