MIAMI – You wouldn’t know the Nationals arrived at loanDepot park riding a three-game losing streak and their biggest offensive slump of the young season. They were upbeat and looking positive, especially with rehabbing Cade Cavalli joining them from West Palm Beach.
But when it came time to play the opener of this four-game, wrap-around series against the Marlins, the Nats had some business to take care of offensively.
Coming into tonight and through the first seven innings, the Nats had really struggled with runners in scoring position, going a combined 4-for-25 with 26 runners left on base and four total runs scored over their last 34 innings.
But the big hit finally came tonight in the eighth, thanks to Joey Meneses, to help deliver a 3-1 victory over the Marlins in front of an announced crowd of 10,201.
"Just try to relax and go up to the at-bat focused," Meneses said, via interpreter Octavio Martinez, of his game-winning hit. "Trying to look for a good pitch that I know I can take a good swing at.”