Washington Nationals news & notes: Nats win “hitters’ duel” with Blue Jays, 11-8 final; Big hit for Eddie Rosario + more…

Notes and quotes from the Nationals’ 11-8 win over the Blue Jays in the nation’s capital…

“Today was a hitters’ duel, basically,” Davey Martinez said after his club’s 11-8 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in the series finale in the nation’s capital. “I’m glad we ended up on top.”

Trailing 6-1 after two and a half, with starter MacKenzie Gore done after just three innings in which he gave up six hits, two walks, and six runs, two earned, with a costly error in the top of the second, on which one run scored, and after which the Jays added four on a Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. grand slam, the Nationals were once again in a big hole early.

Martinez’s club has now come from behind to win 12 times this season, however, and for 5 of their last 7 wins, so they should be used to this stuff by now.

“I’ve said before, these guys never feel like they’re out of a game,” Martinez told reporters in his post game press conference on Sunday. “They don’t. Today’s another example.”

Luis García, Jr. went 4 for 4 with a solo home run, a two-run single, 4 RBIs, one stolen base, and two runs scored in the win. Jesse Winker homered for the 4th time this year, making it 7-6 game in the Nationals’ favor in the fourth, and after the Jays rallied to tie it up and take the lead in the fifth, 8-7, García drove in another run, 8-8, and then, in what could perhaps end up being the biggest development, Eddie Rosario hit his second home run of the year 402 feet to right-center for the second of this wo hits in the game, a cathartic shot for the slumping veteran.

It was Rosario’s first home run since Opening Day, and it was his first multi-hit game of the year, and just his third hit in the last 13 games. So, yeah, it was big. And he showed it with the way he looked at his bat, then tossed it aside as the dugout went wild for their 32-year-old teammate, whose average sits at .118 on the season.

“You know, I needed it,” Rosario said through interpreter Octavio Martinez after the win. “As you can see based on the start I’ve had, I’m one of those players that looks forward to those big moments, and I’ve had some big moments in my career with big home runs.

“But how we started, I needed it. It’s definitely a confidence boost, knowing that I can still be that player.”

It was a big moment in the game and a big one for the outfielder.

“We kind of saw it once he crossed home plate,” Martinez said of Rosario’s reaction. “It was like a sigh of relief, so hopefully that will get him going. But like I said, I’ve seen this guy many times hit home runs like that in big moments. He’s a big bat for us. The reason why we signed him is because we felt like against right-handed pitching he can do that and turn the ball around and put us in the lead. Today was awesome. The previous swing before that, the ball he hit up the middle… I thought, ‘Oh yeah,’ to me that was the key, so if he can continue to do that, the rest of it will come.”

Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

Rosario’s blast put the club up 10-8, and Joey Meneses hit a sac fly in the home-half of the eighth to make it 11-8.

“They fought back, we got some big hits, you know, and we end up going ahead, they tie the game, and then Eddie with a big homer there. But like I said before, they’re relentless. They keep coming, keep coming,” Martinez said.