Jeimer Candelario hit a three-run homer with Joey Meneses and Alex Call also going deep as the host Washington Nationals bashed the Texas Rangers 8-3 on Saturday to end a five-game losing streak.
The Nationals, who won for just the second time in their last 17 home games, built an 8-0 lead through three innings and then waited out a 77-minute rain delay before the fourth.
Washington starter Jake Irvin (2-5) returned after the delay and quickly surrendered a walk to Adolis Garcia and a two-run homer to Josh Jung. In five innings, the rookie right-hander gave up two runs on five hits and two walks with one strikeout.
Jung added a solo shot in the sixth against Jordan Weems. It was Jung’s 19th homer of the season.
Texas left-hander Andrew Heaney (5-6) was pounded for eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits with a walk and four strikeouts in three innings. The Rangers, leaders in the American League West, have lost five of their last seven games.
CJ Abrams and Lane Thomas led off the first with singles, and Candelario drove a changeup over the wall in center field for his 13th home run of the season. Three pitches later, Meneses cranked his fifth homer of the season to push the lead to four runs.
Call also launched his fifth home run of the season following a leadoff walk to Luis Garcia in the second. Center fielder Leody Taveras appeared to get a glove on the ball as he attempted to bring it back into the park, but it continued over for the wall for Call’s second homer in three games.
Thomas singled later in the inning, stole second and rode home on a double by Meneses for a 7-0 lead.
Luis Garcia tripled with two outs in the third and scored on a throwing error by Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien to make it 8-0.
Weems, Kyle Finnegan and Amos Willingham combined to work four innings, surrendering one run on three hits with no walks and three strikeouts.
Grant Anderson pitched four scoreless innings for the Rangers. He struck out three.
Adolis Garcia was ejected by home plate umpire Gabe Morales in the eighth for arguing a called strike.
–Field Level Media
