C.J. Abrams hit a three-run home run and Joey Meneses collected four hits and two RBIs, helping the Washington Nationals defeat the Minnesota Twins 10-4 on Saturday in Minneapolis.

Abrams, the sixth overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, deposited a Simeon Woods Richardson pitch into the right-field seats to give the Nationals an 8-2 lead in the seventh inning. It was his first home run since the Nationals acquired him in a deal with San Diego last August that sent Juan Soto and Josh Bell out west.

Meneses had an RBI single in each of the first two innings. Dominic Smith, Luis Garcia, Jeimer Candelario and Victor Robles each added two hits for the Nationals, who can sweep the three-game series with a win on Sunday.

Byron Buxton homered for the Twins, who have lost six of their last seven. Carlos Correa had three hits for Minnesota.

Neither starting pitcher made it to the fifth. Washington’s Chad Kuhl gave up one run on three hits in 3 2/3 innings. He threw 96 pitches, struck out five and walked four. Minnesota’s Pablo Lopez (1-2) took the loss, allowing five runs on eight hits over four innings. He struck out six and walked two.

Mason Thompson (2-1) earned the win, limiting the Twins to one run in 2 1/3 innings. He struck out four.

After Washington scored twice in each of the first two innings, Buxton’s home run sliced Minnesota’s deficit to 5-1 in the bottom of the third. The Nationals regained a four-run lead in the fourth when Candelario’s sacrifice fly drove in Robles.

Minnesota scored its second run in the sixth. Joey Gallo reached on a third-strike wild pitch, took second on a throwing error and scored on a Correa single.

After Abrams’ home run, Minnesota made it an 8-4 game on Trevor Larnach’s two-run double in the seventh.

Washington capped the scoring with two runs in the ninth. Riley Adams scored on a double by Robles, who scored on a Candelario single.

–Field Level Media