Keibert Ruiz Goes Absolutely Nuclear and the Nationals Finally Put Away the Twins

The Washington Nationals needed someone to step up in a rubber match against Minnesota on Thursday, and Keibert Ruiz did not mess around. Two doubles, one home run, four RBIs, and three runs scored. That's the kind of performance that wins ballgames, and it did: Washington took the series finale 7-5 at Nationals Park.

Ruiz Carried the Load When It Mattered Most

Ruiz's night was the difference maker. He lined a home run down the right-field line off John Klein in the seventh to put the Nationals back in front 6-5, then watched Curtis Mead drive in another run later that inning to stretch it to 7-5. That was enough to hold on and finish what turned into a split of the six-game homestand.

The Nationals weren't flashy early on. Starter Jake Irvin gave up four runs and eight hits over five-plus innings, striking out two and walking one. But the bullpen held up: PJ Poulin (3-0) threw a scoreless inning of relief, and Gus Varland locked down the final four outs for his fourth save of the season.

Minnesota Fought Back but Ran Out of Time

The Twins came to play. Ryan Jeffers had three hits including two doubles and a home run, scoring three runs himself. Brooks Lee added two hits and two RBIs. But starter Simeon Woods Richardson couldn't keep up. He gave up five runs and four hits in 4 1/3 innings while striking out two and walking two.

Minnesota had chances. Lee grounded an opposite-field single through the open left side with the bases loaded in the second to score two and take an early 2-0 lead. Jeffers later crushed one over the fence in left to cut it to 5-4. Then Josh Bell lined a pinch-hit double into the left-field corner in the seventh to tie it at 5-5. But that's as close as they could get.

Next Up

Washington heads home having split the series. Minnesota opens a three-game road set at Cleveland on Friday, looking to bounce back after this tough loss.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.