Garcia spurs Senators with four-hit night

With six multi-hit games since May 22, Luis Garcia and his hot bat looms large in the Eastern League first-half playoff chase.
MLB.com's No. 64 overall prospect went 4-for-5 with a double and an RBI as Double-A Harrisburg topped Reading, 6-1, on Saturday night at FirstEnergy Stadium.

It was Garcia's eighth Minor League game with at least four hits and his first since July 29 with Class A Advanced Potomac.
"I felt good tonight," he said through a translator. "I wanted to come in with a clear head. It's been a bumpy road."
He entered the season with a .299 batting average in four seasons of professional ball. This year, he slumped after a high-water mark of .296 on April 11 and is hitting .234.
"It has been a tough start," he said. "But I come in every day to get my work in. Today, the ball fell my way. I just want to keep going to help the team win."
Gameday box score
Ranked No. 2 in the Nationals system, Garcia had a one-out infield single off the glove of left-hander and Phillies No. 7 prospect  JoJo Romero in the first inning but was doubled off first base after Adrían Sanchez lined to shortstop Arquimedes Gamboa.
Signed by the Nationals after he ranked ninth on MLB Pipeline's Top 30 international prospects for the 2016-17 signing period, Garcia flied out to open the third, then reached on a slow roller to third in the fifth.
Facing lefty reliever Jonathan Hennigan with one out in the sixth, the 6-foot, 190-pound second baseman stroked a single to right field to plate Spencer Kieboom and extend Harrisburg's lead to 6-0.
Garcia ripped a two-out double to left in the eighth off southpaw Garrett Cleavinger but was stranded.
"Hitting is contagious," the New York native said. "I want to get on base, give the other guys a chance to drive me in.
"I work hard every day. I want to win -- and I want to get five hits every game. ... If luck goes my way, I'll be 5-for-5. I don't let the slump bother me when I'm on defense. Defense is defense; offense is offense. Defense is just as important as offense. We're just trying to win. We're close to clinching, so tonight felt good."
Kieboom went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer, three RBIs and two runs scored.

Chuck Taylor, newcomer Dante Bichette, Ian Sagdal and Rhett Wiseman added two hits apiece as the Senators totaled 15 and reduced their magic number for clinching the Western Division first-half crown to three.
After eight relief appearances with Potomac and four with Harrisburg, Steven Fuentes (3-0) won his third consecutive start. He allowed one run while scattering four hits and two walks over six innings, punching out a season-high seven.
Reading was paced by Phillies No. 9 prospect Mickey Moniak and Darick Hall, both of whom had a pair of hits.
Romero (0-3) surrendered six runs on 11 hits and a walk in five innings. He struck out four.