Yunel Escobar gets on base five times in Nationals' 13-3 dispatch of Marlins

Third baseman Yunel Escobar went 4-for-4 with a double, a walk and four RBIs as the Nationals steamrolled the Marlins 13-3.

Escobar reached base in all five plate appearances and reached a personal milestone of 163 hits on the season. His previous career high was 158 hits in 2009 with the Braves.

The key hit for Escobar arrived in the sixth. He slashed a double to deep right center field off of Scott McGough. The hit scored three runs. He had led off that same inning with a single to left field. The Nationals rallied for seven runs in the inning to put the game away.

"His secret to success is the ball he hit to right center field," said Williams. "When he's going well, that's what he does. Got a couple of them back through the middle today. Just a really good game. For him, the ball to right center is indicative of him seeing the ball well and staying on it."

Escobar credits his offseason training for one reason why he has been able to hit so well. He is now batting .324 in 130 games with 24 doubles, one triple, nine homers, 41 walks and 53 RBIs. His career high in batting average was .326 in 94 games for Atlanta in 2007.

"He's playing with a clean mind," said Escobar through translator Octavio Martinez. "He prepared himself real well this offseason, playing real relaxed. That's probably leading to the fact that he's having a good year."

The bases-clearing double changed the game for the Nationals and put them up 10-2. Escobar clapped his hands in celebration and screamed in exuberance towards the Nationals dugout to get them pumped up.

"He feels like that's part of his game," Martinez said. "He gets excited throughout the game, having fun. That was part of that excitement coming out right there."

Escobar also reiterated his stance that playing third base is not an issue even though he has played most of his career at shortstop. This is the first season since 2007 that he has played exclusively at third base.

"It's the same as the fact that he's having a good year," Martinez said. "He comes with a clean mind set and just relaxed and you know he's been put to play third and he's been embracing that opportunity and so far everything's been going well. That's what is expected of him. He just comes here to play."

Does reaching career high numbers in hits mean a lot to Escobar?

"He says honestly he's not thinking too much about numbers or looking at his stats," Martinez said. "He's just going out there playing the game, having fun, playing with a clean mindset and leaves everything up to God, so whatever falls, and it's been fortunate enough that this year's been going well for him."

The Nationals cut the Mets advantage to 6 1/2 games for at least a few hours. The Subway Series is the Sunday night game between the Mets and the Yankees. Escobar said they can't concern themselves with where they stand in the race. The Nationals have 13 games remaining on their regular season schedule.

"He believes the best way to play is not even thinking about that and just playing relaxed like they have been and playing good baseball," Martinez said. "Obviously it's there, but the less we think about it as a team, he believes the better we have a chance of catching up to them."

Escobar has now reached base safely five times in a game twice this season. He also did it August 18 against the Rockies. This is the eighth time in his career he has reached base five times in a game.