The Washington Nationals received five home runs, including two from Keibert Ruiz, that propelled them to a 10-6 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday.
Ruiz was once a top Dodgers prospect, and he appeared in parts of two seasons with the club before he was traded to Washington in 2021 as part of the blockbuster that sent Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to L.A.
Ruiz is now the Nationals’ everyday catcher and enjoyed icing the series finale at Dodger Stadium with a home run in the ninth inning, per Greg Beacham of the Associated Press:
“Yeah, a little bit,” he said with a grin.
Ruiz went on to praise the Dodgers for being a well-run team and understands that every run counts against them:
“I respect them,” Ruiz said of the Dodgers. “They’re a really good team, good people. … It felt really good, especially in that moment when the game is close.”
Ruiz hit his first home run in the second inning that put the Nationals on the board after falling into an early 3-0 hole. He later provided some insurance in the ninth with his second homer of the game, finishing his day with three hits in four at-bats.
Ruiz also homered in Tuesday’s matchup against the Dodgers, and for the season, is batting .237/.310/.395 with seven doubles, seven home runs and 23 RBI in 47 games.
Why did the Dodgers trade Keibert Ruiz?
While it appears the Nationals have found their longterm catcher in Ruiz, the switch-hitter was blocked on the depth chart by Will Smith during his time with the Dodgers.
L.A. additionally had plentiful depth at the position with top prospect Diego Cartaya, which made the decision to trade Ruiz easier. The organization now has Dalton Rushing waiting in the wings as well, who was selected in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft.
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