Nats attack early with Suzuki homer and roll 6-0

The Nationals left 19 men on base Friday night in the series opening extra-inning loss to the American League Centeral last-place Royals.

Saturday afternoon, the Nats got their offense going quickly so those men left on base didn't have a chance to pile up.

Kurt Suzuki highlighted a three-run second inning for the Nationals, evening the series with a 6-0 shutout of Kansas City.

Trea Turner, Adam Eaton and Juan Soto all had two hits in the 12-hit barrage. Soto and Suzuki had two RBIs apiece as the Nats improved to 46-42.

The Nationals pummeled Royals starter Glenn Sparkman early with six hits in those first two frames.

Turner singled and Eaton doubled to ignite the first inning. Soto brought Turner home with an RBI single. Eaton was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second base, but the Nats led 1-0.

Matt Adams walked to begin the second. Suzuki then worked Sparkman to a 2-2 count. After Suzuki fouled off the ninth pitch of the at-bat, Sparkman threw to first base three times to check Adams. Did he really think Adams was going to take off for second base?

Finally, when Sparkman turned his attention back to Suzuki, the catcher launched the 10th offering well over the left field wall. Suzuki's blast went 423 feet, his 11th homer of the season.

"Maybe he was doing me a favor, giving me a break," Suzuki said of the throws to first base. "The more pitches I saw I felt like I was more in the driver's seat. I know the count was two strikes but I felt like the more pitches that I saw that at-bat the more comfortable I got. And then picked over three times and sat on a pitch down the middle and I got it."

The Nationals have now hit a home run in a franchise-record 20 straight games. Alongside the Seattle Mariners, the Nats are tied for the second-longest active streak in the major leagues. The Yankees streak of 31 straight games with a homer just ended.

"It was a really good at-bat," manager Davey Martinez said. "He got a ball up in the strike zone and he hammered it, but you know Suzuki has been really good all year."

The next batter, Victor Robles, doubled through the hole at shortstop. After Max Scherzer struck out, Turner singled and Robles went to third. Turner was then caught stealing by catcher Cam Gallagher to shortstop Adalberto Mondesi. But because the Royals decided to go after Turner, Robles managed to break for home and slide under the tag by Gallagher at home plate to make it 4-0 Nats.

"To be honest, I didn't think they'd throw through," Turner said. "With Robles on third base, I figured they wouldn't have thrown through. He's quick to the plate. So I wanted to go early in the at-bat and give (Adam) Eaton time to still see some pitches. He made a good throw, so I had to stop. Anybody else on third, I probably don't go. That was my thought process. But it ended up working out."

The Nats added two insurance runs in the seventh. Pinch-hitter Gerardo Parra and Eaton each singled. Parra got to second base on a fielding error by right fielder Jorge Soler. Anthony Rendon brought a run home with a sacrifice fly and Soto notched his second RBI of the game with another base hit.

The Nats won 6-0, ending up with only five men left on base, going 4-for-10 with runners in scoring position. But Turner said having 19 men left on base Friday still meant they were threatening in almost every inning.

"I think we did a good job of getting people on base today," Turner said. "We had good at-bats when we had people on. It was just a matter of getting a hit at the right time. Early on we got those hits and that gave Max the room to work with, and that was kind of the difference in the game."