MINNEAPOLIS -- For 23 innings, the Nationals struggled to put a run on the board.
They broke that skid in a 9-3 win over the Twins on Saturday at Target Field. It was their first road win since July 9 at St. Louis.
Pinch-hitter Alex Call drove in Drew Millas with a line drive into left field off All-Star Joe Ryan in the third inning for the Nationals’ first run since the sixth inning on Wednesday against the Reds.
“Every day, I’m going to tell them that we’re facing the best pitcher to see if it changes,” interim manager Miguel Cairo said with a smile. “Ryan had good stuff, but today we came after two days that we didn’t hit that well and we reacted and swung at strikes and put the barrels on the ball.”
Call went 2-for-4 (including a home run) with three RBIs after replacing center fielder Jacob Young, who sustained a right index finger contusion attempting to bunt. X-rays on Young’s finger came back negative, and he is day to day.
The success at Target Field was meaningful for Call, who grew up in nearby River Falls, Wis., and attended Twins games as a young fan. He hosted a free baseball clinic for his hometown during this trip.
“I’m glad I got in there and I was able to play in the park that I grew up going to,” said Call. “... [I had] a lot of fun this weekend and soaking it in.”
Making up for his “this close” miss on Friday, Luis García Jr. crushed a solo home run off Ryan to right-center field in the third. CJ Abrams cleared the bases with a three-run double in the fifth to give the Nationals a commanding lead in support of Mitchell Parker’s seventh win of the season.
The Nationals will look to improve to .500 against American League teams in the series finale on Sunday.