SAN DIEGO — James Wood shone brightly for the Washington Nationals, blasting a three-run home run as part of his three hits. His powerful performance, including four RBIs and crossing the plate three times, helped lead the Nationals to a decisive 10-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Monday night.
Another standout was Josh Bell, who added a home run and contributed three RBIs to the scoreline. CJ Abrams joined the action with three hits and three runs, twice capitalizing on Wood’s efforts at the plate.
Interestingly, Wood, Abrams, and Bell all have a shared history journeying between the two teams. It was the headline-generating trade on August 2, 2022, that brought Juan Soto to the Padres while they, in exchange, moved to Washington. Bell made his way alongside Soto to the Padres, while both Abrams, a rookie at the time, and Wood, then considered a prospect, ended up with the Nationals. Soto was later traded by the Padres to the New York Yankees in December 2023.
During his inaugural game at Petco Park, Wood spectacularly widened the gap for the Nationals with a three-run homer. His shot off the right-field foul pole against Yuki Matsui came in the eighth inning, propelling Wood to his 22nd home run this season with Abrams and Daylen Lile on base. Bell’s 10th homer of the season soared into the second deck in left field during the ninth inning.
In action earlier in the game, Abrams capitalized on a throwing error by Padres starter Stephen Kolek, which resulted in his advancement to second base. This paved the path for Abrams to cross home plate following Wood’s single. Contributions continued with Luis García Jr.’s double, followed by an RBI single from Nathaniel Lowe, a sacrifice fly by Bell, and an RBI single from Brady House.
The Nationals kept the pressure on San Diego, adding two runs in the fifth with a string of five one-out singles. Kolek was removed with Abrams’ hit, and subsequent RBI singles from García and Bell off reliever Wandy Peralta further cemented their lead.
Despite a late attempt at a comeback, the Padres couldn’t close the deficit. Fernando Tatis Jr. hammered a massive 435-foot, three-run home run in the ninth. Earlier, Manny Machado sent a solo shot sailing over the fence to start the fourth, tallying his 13th for the season, and Jake Cronenworth launched one at the beginning of the seventh for his sixth overall. Tatis’s homer marked his 15th this year.
Washington’s pitcher, Mitchell Parker, delivered a steady performance, allowing three runs over six innings, improving his record to 5-8.
Wood’s explosive night might have left some Padres fans pondering what could have been if he had remained with the team instead of moving in the Soto deal.
On a broader scale, with 1,990 career hits and 355 homers, Machado is on the cusp of an exclusive milestone. He stands to become just the 12th player in history to reach both 350 home runs and 2,000 hits at 32 or younger.
Looking ahead, Tuesday night’s game will pit Nationals right-hander Trevor Williams, who grew up in San Diego, against Padres right-hander Ryan Bergert. The stage is set for an engaging matchup between Williams (3-8, 5.54 ERA) and Bergert (1-0, 1.88 ERA).
Home Wood shines with HR, 4 RBIs as Nationals top Padres