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Washington Post
a day ago
- General
- Washington Post
Nationals' first-inning ambush rewrites club record book in win over Arizona
PHOENIX — About 24 hours before the best first inning in Washington Nationals history, Robert Hassell III smiled while standing at his locker in the corner of the visitor's clubhouse at Chase Field and wanted to make sure he gave credit where it was due. This heater the Nationals offense has found itself on, one that has delivered the team 10 wins in 13 games following Saturday's 11-7 thumping of the Arizona Diamondbacks, was simply the product of good preparation. It was veterans Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell speaking up, and hitting coaches Darnell Coles and Chris Johnson 'nailing' the scout on the starters.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
Josh Bell hits 3-run homer, Nationals knock off Diamondbacks 9-7 in series opener
PHOENIX — Josh Bell hit a three-run homer, Robert Hassell III had three RBIs and the Washington Nationals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-7 on Friday night. Hassell hit a two-run single in the first inning and a run-scoring single in the seventh that put Washington up 9-6. James Wood hit a solo homer and Kyle Finnegan gave up a run on Geraldo Perdomo's groundout before closing out the ninth for his 16th save in 19 chances.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
Josh Bell and James Wood keep raking as Nats continue to cook on the road
PHOENIX — If every positive trend and tendency from the Washington Nationals season was a dial in a control room, Friday night's 9-7 dispatching of the Arizona Diamondbacks — the team's ninth win in their last 12 games — was a metaphor for what happens when those dials reached 100. For all that was quantifiable — and we'll get to that soon — the night's preeminent trend was a bit easier to put into qualitative terms. After a night game in Seattle went to extra innings Thursday, the team's flight touched down in Phoenix around 3 a.m. Friday. In the clubhouse before the game, players compared how many hours of sleep they had gotten. They weren't the sorts of numbers that health experts look fondly upon. It was a ripe opportunity, then, to come out flat. Behind a barrage of offense, they did anything but. 'That's the tough part about the big leagues,' said right-hander Jake Irvin, who labored through five challenging innings, allowing six runs on 10 hits. 'You're going to travel coast to coast. You're going to have long nights like that. These guys are professionals. They came in, handled their business like any other day, and just got after it.' It was no secret this offseason that the Nationals (27-30) believed their next positive step as a franchise would be the result of young talent progressing and include a whole lot more power at the plate. Suffice it to say, each has come to fruition. Home runs from James Wood and Josh Bell gave the Nationals 60 home runs through 57 games. Last year, it took until Game No. 74 to reach that mark. Only five teams have improved their slugging percentage year-over-year by a higher mark. Loud sounds were amplified by a closed roof at Chase Field. And for the first time since April 2019, they scored at least nine runs in three straight games. 'If you can get the ball in the air here,' Bell said, 'you will be rewarded.' There was, of course, more nuance to their offense against Arizona (27-30). Robert Hassell III's compact swing and advanced approach has translated across his first couple weeks in the majors; he worked a 10-pitch at-bat against Arizona right-hander Merrill Kelly (six runs, five innings) in the first before a hard liner to center provided a 2-0 Nationals lead. To lead off the third, Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno called for a cutter up in the zone, leaving his knees to get his glove where he needed. Kelly obliged his request. Wood made contact at the back of the plate it and hit a rocket into the seats in left field for his 16th home run (fifth-most in MLB). Josh Bell, who a day earlier said he was finally out of the 'dark place' that his swing had taken him, crushed a booming 430-foot, three-run shot later in the frame, his third straight day with a homer. That gave Washington a 6-4 lead. 'I mean, we talked about in spring — we know that we can be an offensive threat,' Bell said. 'Right now, it seems like it's a different person every night. Aside from Woody. It seems like it's every night for him. So it's definitely fun to be a part of it.' '[The hitting coaches], Chris Johnson, Darnell Coles, I mean, they've been nailing these guys,' Hassell said. 'Making sure we have all the information. It's almost like we faced them before we face them. So that's a good feeling.' But a confluence of trends tied the game back at 6 in the bottom of the inning. Irvin has given Washington some of its best starts this season, but his numbers have often dipped in his next start after longer outings; he followed eight scoreless innings in his previous outing by conceding four runs Friday in the first. He has allowed more balls in play this year. Which meant that, in the third, an infield defense that ranks 29th in outs above average (OAA) helped two runs come across — and an outfield defense that has been a top-10 unit this month by OAA saved three runs, as a seed from Hassell nailed Eugenio Suarez at home and a perfectly-timed leap by right fielder Daylen Lile robbed a two-run homer to end the inning. And after José Tena, CJ Abrams and Wood walked in the sixth, Nathaniel Lowe — hitting .300 with runners in scoring position — smacked a broken-bat single to right field that scored two and pushed Washington ahead 8-6. Hassell added another hard single in the seventh for a 9-6 lead. That turned it over to, perhaps, the freshest development for Washington. In early May, the Nationals had the highest bullpen ERA in baseball. But as the days passed, Manager Dave Martinez began to have just a little more faith in his young relievers. Pitchers such as Cole Henry, who Martinez said before the game he is now fully comfortable with in high leverage roles. Pitchers such as Brad Lord, who was entrusted with the seventh and eighth and responded with six big outs, including three strikeouts. He said he felt an adrenaline rush when he ran out of the bullpen. 'And who doesn't love a good adrenaline rush?' Lord said. At the end, though, they still called 0n old reliable — Kyle Finnegan — to close it out for his 16th save. Note: Martinez said Jacob Young (shoulder) will head out on a rehab assignment upon the team's return to Washington if all goes well with his progression. The outfielder has not played since May 17 in Baltimore.
Reuters
2 days ago
- General
- Reuters
Nationals extend hot streak with win over D-backs
May 31 - James Wood hit a solo homer and Josh Bell added a three-run shot as the Washington Nationals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-7 in the opener of a three-game series on Friday in Phoenix. Robert Hassell III had two hits and three RBIs for Washington, which has won three straight and nine of its past 12. Nathaniel Lowe contributed two hits, including a go-ahead two-run single in the sixth inning. Washington starter Jake Irvin (5-1) allowed six runs on 10 hits with one walk and no strikeouts over five innings. After Andrew Chafin and Brad Lord combined for three scoreless innings, Kyle Finnegan allowed a run in the ninth before recording his 16th save. Pavin Smith had two hits and two RBIs for Arizona, which has lost eight of its past nine games, including three straight. Geraldo Perdomo had two RBIs. The Nationals moved ahead 8-6 after loading the bases with two outs in the sixth inning when Lowe delivered a two-run broken-bat single against Juan Morillo (0-1). Washington tacked on an insurance run in the seventh when Luis Garcia Jr. hit a ground-rule double and scored on Hassell's one-out single. The Nationals began the scoring with two runs in the first inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Hassell singled home two runs against Merrill Kelly. Arizona responded with four runs in the bottom of the first. Perdomo singled in a run before Ketel Marte scored on Josh Naylor's groundout. Eugenio Suarez and Smith added RBI singles to help the D-backs move ahead. The Nationals powered up to regain the lead with four runs in the third inning. Wood hit a leadoff blast for his team-leading 16th homer of the season and fourth in his past six games. Lowe followed with a four-pitch walk and Garcia singled before Bell crushed a 3-1 pitch over the center field wall for a three-run homer. The 430-foot blast was Bell's ninth homer this season. Arizona tied the game at 6-6 with two runs in the bottom of the third. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. singled in a run with one out before scoring from second on Smith's double. Kelly pitched five innings, giving up six runs (four earned) on six hits with two walks and six strikeouts. The D-backs pushed a run across in the ninth when Corbin Carroll scored on Perdomo's groundout. --Field Level Media
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Josh Bell hits 3-run homer, Nationals knock off Diamondbacks 9-7 in series opener
Washington Nationals' Josh Bell, right, smiles as he celebrates his three-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks with Nationals' Nathaniel Lowe (33) during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, May 30, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Diamondbacks' Eugenio Suárez, second from left, is tagged out at home plate by Washington Nationals catcher Riley Adams, right, as home plate umpire Lance Barksdale and Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith (26) look on during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, May 30, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly tosses the rosin bag after giving up a triple to Washington Nationals' José Tena during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, May 30, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Washington Nationals starting pitcher Jake Irvin gets a news baseball during the third inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday, May 30, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Washington Nationals' José Tena (8) slides safely into third base with a triple as Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez waits for a possible throw during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, May 30, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Washington Nationals' José Tena (8) slides safely into third base with a triple as Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez waits for a possible throw during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, May 30, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Washington Nationals' Josh Bell, right, smiles as he celebrates his three-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks with Nationals' Nathaniel Lowe (33) during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, May 30, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Diamondbacks' Eugenio Suárez, second from left, is tagged out at home plate by Washington Nationals catcher Riley Adams, right, as home plate umpire Lance Barksdale and Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith (26) look on during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, May 30, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly tosses the rosin bag after giving up a triple to Washington Nationals' José Tena during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, May 30, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Washington Nationals starting pitcher Jake Irvin gets a news baseball during the third inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday, May 30, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Washington Nationals' José Tena (8) slides safely into third base with a triple as Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez waits for a possible throw during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, May 30, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) PHOENIX (AP) — Josh Bell hit a three-run homer, Robert Hassell III had three RBIs and the Washington Nationals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-7 on Friday night. Hassell hit a two-run single in the first inning and a run-scoring single in the seventh that put Washington up 9-6. James Wood hit a solo homer and Kyle Finnegan gave up a run on Geraldo Perdomo's groundout before closing out the ninth for his 16th save in 19 chances. Advertisement Nathaniel Lowe hit a go-ahead two-run single after Juan Morillo (0-1) walked the bases loaded in the sixth. Washington starter Jake Irvin (5-1) allowed six runs on 10 hits in five innings. Perdomo and Pavin Smith had two RBIs for Arizona, which has lost eight of nine. The Diamondbacks have been plagued by pitching blowups and fielding miscues during their recent slide. A mistake cost them early against Washington. Merrill Kelly appeared to be out of the first inning by inducing a two-out ground ball, but second baseman Ketel Marte dropped the toss from Perdomo at shortstop. Hassell followed with a two-run double and Kelly ended up throwing 17 extra pitches in the inning. Advertisement Arizona answered with four runs in the bottom half against Irvin on three singles and a groundout. Homers hurt Kelly in the third. Wood led off with his 16th and Bell followed with a towering three-run shot to put the Nationals up 6-4. Kelly allowed six hits — four earned — on six hits and struck out six in five innings. Key moment Lowe's two-run single in the sixth broke a 6-all tie. Key stat Wood has an RBI in six straight games. Up next Washington RHP Michael Soroka (1-3, 5.61 ERA) faces Arizona RHP Brandon Pfaadt (7-3, 3.90) Saturday in the second game of the series. ___ AP MLB:
