MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — CJ Abrams had a three-run double against Minnesota All-Star Joe Ryan, Alex Call homered and drove in three runs and Luis García Jr. also went deep as the Washington Nationals beat the Twins 9-3 on Saturday night.
Mitchell Parker (7-10) allowed two runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings to win his second straight start for the Nationals. Luis García got four outs, and Jackson Rutledge allowed a run in the eighth before Andrew Chafin closed it out with a scoreless ninth.
Drew Millas went 3 for 4 and had a leadoff single against Ryan in the third before stealing second. Call had an RBI pinch-hit single to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead. Call was called on to hit with the count 0-2 after Jacob Young was forced to leave when he took a pitch off his right index finger on a bunt that went foul.
García led off the fourth with his eighth home run for a 2-0 lead.
Abrams’ three-run double came with nobody out in the fifth after second baseman Brooks Lee dropped a pop-fly in shallow right for an error to load the bases. Ryan (10-5) retired the next three before leaving. He allowed four earned runs and six hits.
Royce Lewis had an RBI single and Ty France had a two-out RBI double to chase Parker in the sixth and cut it to 5-2.
Call led off the seventh with his third homer — an opposite-field shot to right off Justin Topa for a 6-2 lead. Garcia doubled and scored on Josh Bell’s single in the eighth. Bell scored on a wild pitch and Call had an RBI fielder’s choice for the final runs.
Byron Buxton went 0 for 3 before leaving after six innings with soreness in his left side. He is day to day.
Key moment
Abrams’ double came on the first pitch from Ryan following Lee’s dropped pop-up and Washington never looked back.
Key stat
Washington’s victory evens the all-time series at 13-all.
Up next
Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (7-5, 4.81) starts Sunday. The Twins have not announced a starter.
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