Garcia, Winker go deep as Nats end slide, beat struggling Twins 12

WASHINGTON (AP) — Luis García Jr. homered and drove in three runs, Eddie Rosario also had three RBIs and the Washington Nationals snapped a five-game slide with a 12-3 victory over the struggling Minnesota Twins on Monday night.

Jesse Winker hit a solo shot and Jacob Young delivered a two-run single during a four-run fifth inning off Twins starter Pablo López (4-4) to help Washington pound out 14 hits and hand Minnesota its seventh straight defeat.

“We stayed in the middle of the field,” said Nats manager Dave Martinez. “The big thing today, we hit some home runs, but for the most part, you look at all our hits, they were in the middle of the field, which we talk about all the time.

The frustrated Twins held a players only meeting afterward, focused in part on correcting an offense that has scored only 12 runs in this slide.

“It’s easy to be a fun guy to be around when things are going good and when everything you’re hitting is falling and you’re just winning games,” said Carlos Correa, who hit a two-run homer for Minnesota. “But when the tough times come, that’s when you know who people are. And it’s helpful to talk.”