9 RBIs between García, Meneses give glimpse of future

WASHINGTON -- This season, the Nationals have been looking for key contributors to their future. On Saturday, 22-year-old Luis García and 30-year-old rookie Joey Meneses gave them another glimpse of the potential upon which they could build.

García and Meneses combined for a pair of home runs and nine RBIs in the Nationals’ 13-4 victory over the Phillies in Game 1 of Saturday’s split doubleheader at Nationals Park. The Nats dropped Game 2, 8-2.

“Moving forward, if these two guys can do what we think they can do, they’re going to be pretty good in our lineup,” said manager Dave Martinez.

García (3-for-5, two runs, one home run, career-high five RBIs) jump-started the Nats’ offense with a line drive RBI single to right field off Phillies starter Kyle Gibson in the first inning. After plating Meneses in the seventh with a single to left field, he belted his seventh homer of the season a Statcast-estimated 404 feet to right-center field in the eighth to drive in Meneses and Luke Voit (who also smashed a 410-foot dinger in the second).

“That’s what I work for with my hitting, is to [go] up the middle and away,” said García. “There’s times, luckily, where I got the inside pitch … I was able to read the pitch early enough that I reacted and made good contact.”

García’s seventh home run of the season was his first since Sept. 3.

“I’ve always said, when he can get the ball up and in the strike zone, he puts good swings on the baseball -- and he did that today,” Martinez said. “For him, it’s all about consistency and looking for the ball up there and not chasing. Come the rest of this year and come next year, his big thing is not to chase. We’ve got to get him in the zone.”

Meneses continued his head-turning first two months in the Major Leagues with his 20th multi-hit game (3-for-4, double, home run, walk, four RBIs, four runs scored) since debuting on Aug. 2. He tied his career high in RBIs, previously set on Sept. 1 against the Athletics.

“I watch him, and I didn’t think the way he hit was a fluke,” Martinez said. “I think the kid knows how to hit.”

Meneses took advantage of Gibson loading the bases with two outs in the second inning by grounding a double into the left-field corner to plate all three runners. Three frames later, he rocked a solo home run off Gibson 391 feet to right-center field. He added a walk and run scored in the seventh, followed by a single in the eighth.

Meneses boosted his season total to 14 doubles and 13 homers in 51 games. So what’s more fun for the slugging first baseman: a dinger or a bases-clearing extra-base hit?

“That’s a difficult question,” Meneses said with a smile. “But I think it depends on what the team needs. Obviously, I like a lot of home runs. But I also like a lot of RBIs and more when we are close in the game.”

Led by the offensive surge of García and Meneses, the Nationals broke a nine-game skid against the division-rival Phillies and earned their first win against them since July 6.