García and Crews key 5-run 5th inning as Nationals beat Royals 7-3

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Washington Nationals' Luis García Jr., left, hits a single off Kansas City Royals pitcher Mitch Spence which scored Keibert Ruiz and Nasim Nuñez during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Monday, June 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Washington Nationals' Dylan Crews (3) is greeted by Daylen Lile, front right, after hitting a three-run home run off Kansas City Royals pitcher Mason Black which also scored Luis García Jr. during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Monday, June 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams) CORRECTION: Corrects to three-run home run not two-run home run — Washington Nationals' Luis García Jr., left, hits a single off Kansas City Royals pitcher Mitch Spence which scored Keibert Ruiz and Nasim Nuñez during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Monday, June 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

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9:12 PM on Monday, June 15

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Luis García Jr. hit a go-ahead single, Dylan Crews added a three-run homer and the Washington Nationals scored five times in the fifth inning to beat the Kansas City Royals 7-3 on Monday night.

Washington (38-35) has won seven of 10 and moved three games over .500 for the first time since 2019, when the Nationals won the World Series.

García's two-run single in the fifth gave the Nationals a 4-3 lead. Three batters later, Crews launched a drive to left field for his fourth homer this season.

Curtis Mead got Washington on the board in the third with a two-out single that bounced off the glove of Royals second baseman Nick Loftin and into center field for a 2-0 lead.

Brad Lord (5-0) threw three innings in relief and allowed two runs on two hits while striking out two. Nationals starter Andrew Alvarez gave up one run in four innings, striking out five.

Starling Marte scored for Kansas City in the fourth on Carter Jensen's infield single, and Maikel Garcia added a two-run single in the fifth that gave the Royals a 3-2 lead.

Kansas City starter Mitch Spence (0-1) was charged with six runs and seven hits in four-plus innings.

Up next

Royals RHP Michael Wacha (4-5, 3.58 ERA) starts Tuesday against Nationals LHP Foster Griffin (7-2, 3.46).

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