Rangers Routed By Nationals
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WASHINGTON — The month of May has been a rough one at the plate for Anthony Rendon, the regular third baseman for the Washington Nationals.
He had a strong April but entered play Saturday hitting .156 in his previous 12 games, but he ended the month on a high note with four hits, including his sixth homer, as the Nationals beat the Texas Rangers 10-2 on Saturday.
“I felt good. It went my way today,” said Rendon, who raised his average to .268.
Washington had been struggling before the Texas series but has put up 19 runs and 27 hits in the past two games against the Rangers. Does Rendon, in his second big league season, buy into the hitting-is-contagious theory?
“I have been playing baseball a long time. That is how it always happens,” Rendon said.
“I think it is more relaxation. Once they relax then their true talent comes out,” Washington manager Matt Williams said.
Rendon had plenty of help Saturday, as starting pitcher Doug Fister won his third straight start and the Nationals blasted four homers — a solo shot by Rendon in the first, a two-run long ball by catcher Jose Lobaton in the second, a three-run homer by first baseman Adam LaRoche (two hits) in the fourth and a pinch-hit, two-run
shot by Scott Hairston in the sixth.
“It doesn’t change my approach” Fister said of the early run support. “I have seen a few of those guys (with Texas) before. It is still a matter of going out there and executing.
“We went out there and played hard-nosed baseball. Guys were turning double plays. Everybody was working together.”
Winning pitcher Fister (3-1) retired the first 10 batters before Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus had a clean double with one out in the fourth. The right-hander, acquired from Detroit in a trade in December, allowed two runs and four hits in six innings before Craig Stammen came on in the seventh.
“He is the same guy I saw in Seattle and Detroit,” Texas manager Ron Washington said of Fister. “He used all of his pitches.”
LaRoche gave the Nationals an 8-0 lead in the fourth when he crushed a three-run homer to right against Baker, who took over for starter and loser Nick Tepesch (2-1) in the third.
“He was going deep in counts. He had a tough day,” Washington said of Tepesch.
Washington scored four runs in the second against Tepesch, as Lobaton hit a two-run homer and right fielder Jayson Werth had an RBI double. The fourth run scored on an error by Texas left fielder Shin-Soo Choo following the Werth double to make it 5-0.
Texas finally got on the board with a bloop RBI double to right in the fifth by Rougned Odor, whose hit scored right fielder Alex Rios to make it 8-1. The Rangers made it 8-2 in the sixth on an RBI single by Mitch Moreland, the first baseman.
Tepesch lasted just two innings Saturday and gave up five runs (four earned) on seven hits and threw 62 pitches. Baker gave up five runs in five innings.
