Meneses heals Nats' hitting frustrations in win over Marlins (updated)

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.”

Facing right-hander Calvin Faucher, the fifth Marlins reliever to pitch in their bullpen game, the Nats got the situation they wanted in a 1-1 ballgame: Trey Lipscomb on second base with CJ Abrams at the plate.

But Skip Schumaker intentionally walked the Nats’ young shortstop to bring Jesse Winker to the plate instead. Winker loaded the bases for Meneses with an infield single up the middle. And the first baseman, who has been the Nats’ hottest hitter since his walk-off single against the Astros on Saturday, delivered with a two-run single up the middle for a 3-1 lead.

“I mean, we’ll take our walks, right?" said Abrams. "Get on base, trying to score runs for my teammates. Joey came with the big two runs batted in and we got the win.”

“I think trying to stay up the middle and short to the ball,” Meneses said of his approach.

Staying up the middle of the field has been the Nats' hitting philosophy for a while now, and it definitely led to a win tonight.

“I say it all the time: We have to stay in the middle of the field. That’s who we are," manager Davey Martinez said. "A lot of hits in the middle of the field. We did a better job later in the game. We pulled a lot of balls today."

And even though he wasn’t credited with an official RBI, Meneses helped drive in the Nats’ first run of the game by grounding into a double play with the bases loaded in the sixth.

Meneses is now 10-for-23 (.435) with seven RBIs over his last six games.

“He’s doing what he’s supposed to be doing, which is staying in the middle of the field," Davey Martinez said. "The home runs will come. But we got to start making good, solid contact for that to happen. We’re seeing a lot of breaking balls, looking back at all of these things. So we gotta stay on the baseball. And like I said, when we start hitting the ball in the middle of the field, we’re pretty good.”

This came after the Nats offense was held in check by 26-year-old right-hander Anthony Maldonado (a minor league reliever making his major league debut) and three other relievers pitching a bullpen game after former Nationals farmhand Jesús Luzardo was scratched this morning after experiencing discomfort in his elbow.

Although he didn’t get credited with the win, Trevor Williams pitched very well once again.

Entering the night leading the rotation in ERA, WHIP and average against, the veteran right-hander pitched well enough to keep the Marlins bats in check and the Nats within striking distance.

Using a good mix of his fastball and changeup, Williams held the Marlins to one run on five hits and two walks with one strikeout over five innings. He threw 80 pitches, 46 for strikes.

“The Marlins have a great lineup," Williams said. "It’s a lineup that can grind out at-bats and it’s a lineup that can put the ball out of the yard at any moment. They’re a good fastball-hitting team. For me, I don’t have the most elite fastball, but I need to make it look elite. And the best way to do that is to mix it up. They put some good at-bats together today. They made me work the count. ... You tip your hat to them. They did a good job of the back and forth. It was a really good dogfight today.”

The one run came on an unfortunate bloop single into shallow right field. Vidal Bruján singled to lead off the third and advanced to second on a balk by Williams. Then Nick Fortes’ hit a ball into no man's land down the right field line, allowing Bruján to score and give the Marlins a 1-0 lead.

Other than that, Williams was solid throughout his outing. He gave up his usual number of baserunners, but like he’s done a lot to start the year, he got out of those situations, his only 1-2-3 inning coming in his last frame.

Williams now has a 2.70 ERA, 1.050 WHIP and .217 average against, which lead all Nats starters with more than two starts.

“I’m just thankful Davey trusts me every five days to take the ball and do the best of my ability," he said. "I’m proud of the guys in this clubhouse, of the baseball that we’ve been playing. And I’m thankful that I get the chance to get the ball every five days.”

Derek Law (two scoreless innings with five strikeouts), Hunter Harvey (a perfect eighth with a strikeout) and Kyle Finnegan (a perfect ninth with a strikeout for his eighth save) closed out the win behind Williams.

"Law was good as well," his manager said. "And the two big boys at the end shut it down."

The Nationals came into tonight 6-26 against the Marlins over the past two seasons, including 2-11 last year. They need to beat their division rivals, who own the second-worst record in the major leagues, to build upon their 71 wins from 2023.

They’re 1-0 so far.

"That’s a good win on the road. First game of the series," Davey Martinez said. "I’m proud of the boys. They fought. … Really proud of the group. It’s a group effort. They played really well. So let's come back tomorrow and go 1-0 tomorrow.”