ATLANTA -- Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams doesn’t seem to mind a little home cooking.
The Alpharetta, Ga., native went 2-for-4 with a home run in Washington’s 5-2 loss to Atlanta on Thursday afternoon at Truist Park. In 11 games at the Braves’ home over the past two seasons, Abrams has gone 13-for-44 (.295) with three home runs and six RBIs.
“I’m not sure,” Abrams said of the key to his success in Atlanta. “Every game, I want to play my best and help the team to get the win and get on base and make things happen and try to do the best I can.”
Though Abrams lives about 16 miles from Truist Park, he stays with the team rather than sleeping in his own bed.
“[I stay] in the hotel,” Abrams said. “I treat it like every other game.”
As usual when he plays at the home of the Nationals’ National League East rivals, Abrams had family in the stands during the games and in the family visitor room afterwards throughout the series in Atlanta.
“It means everything that they’re able to come and support [me],” Abrams said. “Seeing them up in the stands is cool.”
Abrams got to spend some quality time with his family outside of the ballpark during the series.
“They come to the hotel,” Abrams said. “We might eat there or chill.”
Abrams is an alumni of Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell, Ga., and he played on the baseball team there, winning the Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year in 2019 before being selected sixth overall by the Padres that summer. The Titans' baseball team will be competing in the GHSA 4A state championship game on Wednesday.
“That’s what’s up,” Abrams said. “[I don’t follow them] too much. I know my dad [Chris] does a little bit, but I haven’t been over there in a minute.”
The Nationals dropped three of the four games in the series to the Braves and have dropped eight of their past nine contests.
A series of offensive frustrations continued on Thursday as the Nats scored two runs on six hits and three walks, went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, left six runners on base and grounded into three double plays.
Though Washington made multiple fielding mistakes and was charged with one error, manager Dave Martinez was more concerned with the lack of offense.
“It wasn’t about our fielding -- we hit into a few double plays in key situations,” Martinez said. “We had a chance to go ahead early, and we couldn’t get the job done. In those situations, we have to keep the line moving. We talk about that all the time. Today it didn’t happen. Double plays killed us today.”
The Nationals had a chance to put up some runs when they loaded the bases with one out in the top of the second, but Jacob Young grounded into a 6-4-3 double play on the first pitch he saw to end the rally.
“He’s got a chance to drive in runs,” Martinez said. “He hit the ball hard. In that situation, you kind of want to get the ball where you can drive it up in the air and at least score one right there.”
Abrams was a bright spot on offense in the series, though, as he went 5-for-15 with two home runs. He improved his slash line to .317/.379/.548, a significant improvement over the .246/.314/.433 mark from last season, his second full season with Washington. Abrams' .927 OPS ranks first in the Majors among shortstops, ahead of even Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. (.904).
“He’s swinging the bat well. but he’s been swinging the bat well all year,” Martinez said. “Today was a good day for him. He missed a couple of balls early. He stayed on a ball and hit the ball to left field [for a single in the sixth], then he got a breaking ball up in the zone that he was able to hit to right field for a homer [in the eighth].”