'A student of the game,' Thomas finding Lane

MILWAUKEE -- Manager Dave Martinez liked Lane Thomas’ effectiveness against southpaws. It just so happened that the Nationals faced a pair of lefty starters in their first two games against the Brewers this weekend, setting the stage for Thomas to shine in the matchups at American Family Field.

“I’ve seen him play, I know what he can do,” Martinez said before the Nats’ 9-6 loss on Saturday afternoon. “He really hits left-handed pitchers really well.”

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Thomas, who was acquired from the Cardinals in a trade for Jon Lester, started in left field on Friday and center field on Saturday. He recorded his first triple of the season off Brett Anderson in Friday's series opener when he hustled to third at a sprint speed of 29.2 feet per second, well above the league average of 27.0 feet per second. Thomas finished the night 2-for-4 in Washington’s 4-1 victory.

Batting in the leadoff spot the following afternoon, Thomas opened the game with a ground-rule double into center field off Eric Lauer. He went 2-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored in Saturday's matinee.

“He’s getting an opportunity to play, and he’s going out there and playing the game the right way,” Martinez said. “He’s working good at-bats … playing good defense. I love his attitude. I love his work ethic. He’s doing well.”

Thomas was originally a fifth-round pick of the Blue Jays in 2014. He had played in the Cardinals’ organization since 2017, and he hit .104 in 32 games with St. Louis this season.

“I think it’s always good playing in front of some new faces and new people that haven’t seen me play that much,” Thomas said on Friday. “It gives a little motivation to impress them and gain some more opportunity.”

Thomas is honing in on learning from at-bat to at-bat. Martinez has noticed Thomas closely observing the opposing pitchers before his turn in the order, especially how they approach right-handers like himself.

Take Friday’s triple as an example. In his first plate appearance in the series opener, Thomas grounded into a double play when he sent a sinker from Anderson to second base. When Thomas reviewed film during the game, he noticed he was getting his bat out too early and being more aggressive than necessary. He figured if he was patient in his next at-bat, he could take advantage of the defense’s shift up the middle. Thomas then made contact with a changeup and dropped the ball where he was eyeing it.

"It’s a game of adjustments,” he said. “The quicker you make them, the better you are.”

The work is already paying off in a small sample size. Thomas is batting .545 (6-for-11) with two RBIs and four walks in his first five contests with the Nationals. He is also hitting .400 on the season against lefties.

“He’s a student of the game, he wants to learn,” Martinez said. “He stays in the at-bat. Every time he gets up there, as you can see, he works good counts. So far, I like what he’s doing. I like what I see. He’s a gamer, and he wants to go out there and try to help us win every day.”