Ryan Zimmerman went 3 for 4 in last night’s 6-2 win over the Minnesota Twins, connecting for his sixth home run of the season in the top of the third inning, a two-run blast that went 397 ft. to left field in Target Field.
Zimmerman has now hit safely in 5 of 7 games since he was reinstated from the Injured List back on September 1, going 7 for 24 (.292/.320/.708) with a total of three home runs and 10 RBIs over that span.
Washington Nationals’ skipper Davey Martinez talked after the Nats evened things up in the three-game series with the Twins, about signs that Zimmerman’s swing is where they like it to be, after a longer-than-usual rehab stint following his second trip to the IL this season for issues related to plantar fasciitis.
“When he hits the balls hard the other way and up the middle, he’s really good, and he did that today,” Martinez told reporters. “Hit the home run, but the key for him is to really utilize the other side of the field.”
Getting a hot Zimmerman down the stretch, the second-year manager said, could be a big boost at the Nationals try to hold onto the top Wild Card spot (with the NL East seemingly out of reach at this point).
“Huge,” Martinez said of the potential impact. “Yeah, huge. We’ve talked about that, and I talked to him about just, ‘Hey, when we get you back...’ he missed a lot. So, ‘We’ve got to kind of get you — play you two days and maybe give you a day off, play you another 2-3.
“‘But you have to let me know how you feel.’”
Zimmerman talked with MASN’s Alex Chappell on the field after the game about the way the Nationals scored their runs last night, with a double, walk, and two RBI singles in the top of the first, his own two-run home run in the third, and Trea Turner’s solo home run in the ninth inning.
“Their guy had some good stuff,” Zimmerman said of Twins’ lefty Martín Pérez, “and then we’ve got to score in chunks like that, I think it’s hard to string together tons of hits, so home runs are the thing to do, but the guys in front of me got on base, good at bats from everybody, and after last night it was a good way to answer.”
Now they try to earn a series win, which would be their first in the last three, after dropping 2 of 3 to the New York Mets and 3 of 4 to the Atlanta Braves.
Zimmerman is getting a night off against right Kyle Gibson. All part of the plan.
HERE’S THE NATIONALS’ LINEUP FOR THE FINALE WITH THE TWINS:
Patrick Corbin in 15 starts since June 19:
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 12, 2019
94.1 IP
116 Ks
2.29 ERA
1.071 WHIP
3.0 fWAR (2nd among NL pitchers)#STAYINTHEFIGHT // #OnePursuit pic.twitter.com/88ZDxOfEag