Luis Garcia Jr. and Dylan Crews hit back-to-back homers, Cade Cavalli pitched six solid innings and the Washington Nationals evened their three-game series against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays, prevailing 8-6 on Tuesday.
Garcia and Brady House had two hits apiece for the Nationals, who collected eight walks en route to their third win in four games.
Cavalli (8-4) won his third straight start, giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits. He struck out three and walked two.
Toronto trailed 8-3 in the eighth before Nathan Lukes singled, Kazuma Okamoto reached on an error by shortstop CJ Abrams and George Springer smacked a three-run homer to center off Gus Varland.
Washington reliever Orlando Ribalta retired the next three batters, and Clayton Beeter pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 11th save.
Okamoto hit a solo homer for Toronto, which has alternated losses and wins for seven games.
Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. left in the fourth inning due to right hamstring tightness.
Toronto starter Shane Bieber (2-2) was pulled after allowing four runs on one hit and six walks in two-thirds of an inning.
The game started after a 67-minute rain delay, and things quickly went south for the Blue Jays.
James Wood walked leading off the bottom of the first, and Crews walked one out later. After Abrams reached on an infield hit to load the bases, Bieber walked Keibert Ruiz and Daylen Lile to force in two runs.
Abrams scored on a sacrifice fly by Nasim Nunez, but Bieber issued back-to-back walks to Jorbit Vivas and Jacob Young to make it 4-0 and end his night.
The six walks were the most in a single inning in Nationals history (2005-present).
The Blue Jays got a run back in the third on a throwing error by third baseman Vivas.
In the Toronto fourth, Brandon Valenzuela singled, went to third on Daulton Varsho’s double and scored when Andres Gimenez grounded out.
In the bottom of the fourth, Young walked with one out and Garcia homered into the Nationals’ bullpen with two outs. Crews followed with a shot to center, making it 7-2.
Okamoto’s homer in the fifth pulled Toronto within 7-3.
Washington got a run in the bottom of the fifth when Lile and House singled before Young lofted a sacrifice fly.
–Field Level Media
