Sanchez gets hit by pitch in scary moment, bounces back in 9-4 win

Left-hander Gio Gonzalez continued to pitch well and the Nationals held on after a quick start for a 9-4 victory over the Mets.

But the story of the game was second baseman Adrián Sanchez, who came up big on offense and also took a fastball to the chest in a scary moment late in the game.

Sanchez had a two-run single to highlight the Nats' four-run first frame. In the eighth inning, squaring to bunt, he was hit in the chest by a 97 mph fastball from Mets right-hander Jeurys Familia.

Sanchez went down to the ground on his chest and was down on the field for some time. Manager Dusty Baker and trainer Paul Lessard came out to assist. He eventually returned to the game and was able to line an RBI single to left field as part of the Nats' three-run late-game rally.

For Sanchez's manager and teammates who have played baseball their whole lives, a play like the one Sanchez endured brought back some unfortunate memories from their experience.

"The first thing that went through my head was I was in Puerto Rico and I was facing Bruce Kison and I tried to bunt like that and it hit me right in the chest for a strike," Baker said. "Second thing, I was just hoping that he was OK. I know it knocked the wind out of him, but you hope that it didn't break a rib or something. That's a strong bone right there in the chest, so I'm hoping he's OK and I hope he's not too sore in the following days."

The hit-by-pitch reminded shortstop Wilmer Difo of a very said moment for a 16-year-old friend who was playing baseball recently in the Dominican Republic.

"Very scared. That's a scary situation," Difo said through club interpreter Octavio Martinez. "Unfortunately, about a week ago in Dominican Republic, I had a friend, a young kid, who was playing in the game. The catcher came up to throw to third base and he got hit in the head somewhere in the neck and he didn't make it. So any time a situation like that comes up, it's very scary. We're fortunate, and hopefully he's good."

Left fielder Howie Kendrick, who went 2-for-4 with a run scored, described his response to seeing Sanchez go down and then eventually bounce back and single in a run during the same at-bat.

"You never want to see that happen to anybody. He tried to bunt it to keep it from hitting him, but it missed and hit him in the chest," Kendrick said. "Definitely a scary moment for all of us because you never want to see a teammate hurt, let alone any other guy in the league get hit by a pitch like that.

"And obviously, it wasn't something that was done on purpose or anything. Everybody knows Familia, sinker baller, his ball's heavy run, and it looks like that one just got away from him. It was huge for him to be able to get back up and he drove in a big run for us there."

Kendrick said the dugout was electric when Sanchez came back into the game and notched the run-scoring single.

"That picked our team up and it brought the house down too because everybody here loves Sanchy and we're all pulling for him big time," Kendrick said. "That was a big hit he got. He was surprised that it was a strike, but he did bunt at it, whether it's self defense or not, so I'm just glad it didn't hit him in the face or something."

The club reported after the game that Sanchez was doing well and was undergoing precautionary tests to see if he was OK. He finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Adam Lind had two hits and two RBIs.

Gonzalez (13-5) came with one out of seven innings, scattering six hits and allowing two runs. He struck out two and walked one, firing 103 pitches, 66 for strikes.

Baker said Gonzalez's curveball has continued to be consistent and helped to keep hitters off balance. He was able to throw all four of his pitches effectively Saturday.

"He's getting his breaking ball over, which they have to be aware of, and then he throws you a sinker or a changeup or a fastball in," Baker said. "He has everything going for him right now. He's working all four quadrants of the strike zone, and he's peeling the plate. Inside fastball, breaking ball, changeup, sinker. He's got it going on right now and we got him some runs."

But this game will most be remembered for Sanchez's guts and determination, bouncing back from a hit-by-pitch and staying in the game to contribute another RBI single.

"If you've been in the minor leagues almost 10 years, I would've had to bring a truck to pull him off the field because he wanted that at-bat," Baker said. "That was a very courageous at-bat. He didn't bail or nothing off a very hard-throwing Familia."

Note: Baker announced Erick Fedde will be brought up as the club's 26th man for Sunday's split doubleheader and start the first game. Tanner Roark will start the nightcap, with Max Scherzer starting Monday against the Marlins.