Luis Garcia Jr. hits pinch, 3

WASHINGTON (AP) — Luis Garcia Jr. hit a three-run shot deep to center field in the seventh inning for his first career pinch-hit home run, helping the Washington Nationals rally for a 9-3 victory over the reeling Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.

Garcia connected on Erik Swanson’s 85-mph splitter for his second homer of the season to give Washington a 4-3 lead. Nick Senzel added an RBI double in the inning.

“I came just straight from hitting in the cage,” Garcia said though a translator. “I was actually not trying to be too aggressive. I was just trying to focus on that at-bat to try to get pitch that was elevated. Fortunately he threw a splitter that hung a little bit and it was up and I was able to make good contact with it.”

The Nationals added four runs in the eighth, benefitting from two fielding errors. They have won six of their last eight to get back to .500 at 16-16. It was their 11th comeback win of the season.