García's bold scamper home appreciated by aggressive Nats

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Nationals’ 8-1 victory Saturday was made possible by a six-run explosion in the top of the seventh that turned a tight, low-scoring ballgame into a comfortable rout. But if not for that rally, Luis García Jr.’s bold baserunning play in the top of the fourth might well have been the deciding factor.

Standing on third with two outs in what was at the time a 1-1 game, García watched as Rays starter Aaron Civale bounced a pitch to Jacob Young. Though the ball squirted only a foot away from catcher Ben Rortvedt – and towards the mound, not foul territory – García took off for the plate and wound up scoring easily to give the Nats the lead in impressive fashion.

“I was anticipating, seeing the catcher get on his knees and reading the pitch,” García said, via interpreter Octavio Martinez. “As I saw it leave the hand of the pitcher, and that it was going toward the ground, I read the catcher. And when I saw him actually going after the ball, not the pitcher, I knew I had plenty of time.”

It was an ultra-aggressive move, one the Nationals might normally expect from the fastest players on the team (Young, CJ Abrams, Lane Thomas). But for García, it was about more than athleticism. It was about preparation and instincts in the moment.

“Awesome,” manager Davey Martinez said. “We watched him, and he got a good secondary lead and broke right away. It was a big play for us.”

This road trip has been marked by a number of outs made on the bases by the Nationals. One of the most aggressive teams in the majors, they led the league in stolen bases through late-May and did so at a high rate of success. Since then, as opponents catch on to their plan, they’ve been thrown out with more regularity, morphing into the least-efficient baserunning team in the majors.

Martinez continues to defend the organization’s mindset when it comes to baserunning, while at the same time preaching better preparation and decision-making in the moment. That’s why the manager loved García’s play Saturday so much.

“Look, I say this: I know we’re trying to steal bases and we’ve been getting caught stealing. But that’s our identity,” Martinez said. “We’re not hitting a lot of home runs. We’ve got to create havoc. We’ve got to try to figure out how to win in different ways. I’m not mad at these guys. I want them to be a little bit smarter, but that’s the way we’re going to play. We’re going to play aggressive.”

García, for his part, has bought into the Nationals’ overall strategy and was happy to do his part Saturday to help the cause.

“This team is full of energy,” he said. “We play with a lot of energy. And I think it’s one of those things where that’s how we’re made. We’re very aggressive. Regardless of the situation in the game, up or down, we stay focused and stay with that same kind of energy throughout. I think that’s the way we’ve got to play.”