WASHINGTON – After struggling at the plate this season, the Nationals catchers caught fire against the Twins.
The afternoon after Drew Millas homered and drove in a pair of runs, Keibert Ruiz had one of his best overall offensive games in recent memory.
Ruiz went 3-for-4 with a go-ahead home run, two doubles, four RBIs and three runs scored in the Nats’ 7-5 win.
“I’ve been working really hard with the hitting coach here, and they’ve been helping me a lot every single day. I’m grateful for them,” Ruiz said. “To have those results and help the team win, it feels good. I’ve got to keep getting better, keep working hard.”
It was Ruiz’s first four-RBI game since June 9, 2024, vs. the Braves; first three-run game since July 6, 2024, vs. the Cardinals; and first three-hit and two-double game since June 21, 2025, at the Dodgers.
Ruiz went yard for only the second time this season. He last homered on March 29 at the Cubs.
“He was just way more selective,” said manager Blake Butera. “He does a really good job of making contact. He doesn't swing and miss a ton. His bat-to-ball skills are really good. So what we challenged him [to do] was, be very picky at the plate.
“He probably feels like he can cover everything, but we don't want him to just put the ball in play. We want him to drive the ball like he did today. And sometimes that means maybe give it up a little bit on the edges to get a pitch in the middle of the zone that you can attack. I think he did a really good job of that tonight, just with the loud contact.”
Ruiz became the third catcher in Nats team history (2005-present) to collect three extra-base hits in one game. He joined Riley Adams (May 21, 2023) and Kurt Suzuki (April 7, 2013). Both catchers had recorded two doubles and one home run in those games.
Ruiz entered Thursday’s game batting .182. He had not driven in a run since April 19 against the Giants. Similarly, Millas had a .145 batting average before he homered on Wednesday. In the Nats’ victories, their catchers combined to go 5-for-8 with three doubles, two homers, six RBIs and five runs.
“They both want to provide help offensively,” Butera said. “They both believe they should be doing better than they are. And it just seems like they’re trying to hit a grand slam every at-bat. They’re trying to gain a hundred points in average with each plate appearance. The message, outside of some specifics that they can work on with the bat, was basically, ‘Get back to your process, every at-bat, just win each pitch.’”
The catching duo has been pouring their time into their defensive efforts with a new coaching staff. They’ve platooned the role nearly 50/50 this season with a pitching staff that includes three new starters and a revamped bullpen.
“I think catching is defense-first. Sometimes, offensively, you take a hit for that,” said Thursday’s starting pitcher Jake Irvin, who allowed four runs in five innings. “But it’s not to say that these guys aren’t working really hard on both sides. Those guys have probably the hardest job in baseball, just because it takes a lot to do things so well [on] both sides of the baseball. Both Keibert and Millie have been doing a really good job of balancing that. [Catching coach/run game coordinator] Bobby Wilson has been just awesome. Having played, he knows what it takes to do both sides of it.”
They helped lift the Nationals to clinch their first home series of the season.
“I told both of them, being able to hit, it's just such an added bonus,” said Butera. “But if we can get some offense from both those guys, it just goes such a long way with the defense they're providing behind the plate right now. Obviously, you see the help it gives us back-to-back days when they swing the bats like they did.”