SEATTLE – Following an eight-run loss to the Mariners in the series opener on Tuesday night, veteran Josh Bell looked ahead to the remainder of the Nationals' six-game road trip.
“Bounce back tomorrow,” Bell said. “All it takes is one thing to go our way and we can go back on a little hot streak. But it takes one at-bat, it takes one big moment, and we just rally like we did the last stretch we were on.”
The Nationals did just that on Wednesday with a commanding 9-0 win at T-Mobile Park. The offense was sparked by four solo home runs, from Bell, Luis García Jr., James Wood and Robert Hassell III.
“The at-bats were good today,” manager Dave Martinez said. “They were crisp. As I always say, when we try to stay in the middle of the field, good things happen. We hit some balls hard all over the field today.”
García and Bell went yard in consecutive at-bats against right-hander George Kirby in the second inning. It was the third time the Nationals homered back to back this season.
“I loved it,” Martinez said. “It fired the guys up.”
García belted a slider down the middle a Statcast-projected 404 feet to center field. The line drive had an 18-degree launch angle and traveled at 110.4 mph, his second-highest exit velocity on a hit this season. García was prepared, having hit a home run off Kirby’s slider last year.
Bell worked a full count in the next at-bat before jumping on a 95.4 mph fastball on the outside edge of the plate. His seventh home run of the season flew 378 feet to left field at 107.5 mph. Bell, who is batting .166, went 3-for-5 on the night and recorded his first multi-hit game this year.
“You can’t help but root for Josh Bell,” said Martinez. “The guys love him, we love him. And when he goes oppo like that, it’s huge. Hopefully, he stays like that for a while. I’ve always said, when he gets hot, he could carry us. He had a good day today.”
For the second game in a row, Wood made his mark at T-Mobile Park. After crushing a career-longest 448-foot homer to the batter’s eye on Tuesday, Wood followed up in the fifth inning with a majestic 435-foot rocket to right field. With a 113.3 mph exit velocity, Wood became the first Nationals player to pummel three 113-plus mph home runs in a season since Statcast began tracking in 2015.
“The offense got me two runs early and they got me three runs later in the game,” said right-hander Trevor Williams, who threw six shutout innings. “When we get a little bit of a cushion, especially on the road against a good lineup like this, you can miss more in the zone or you can just attack the zone more.”
Hassell added an exclamation mark in the eighth inning with his first Major League home run. The Nationals’ No. 11 prospect walloped a 416-foot homer to center field at 104.3 mph off righty Blas Castaño, who was making his big league debut. The dinger, which capped off Hassell’s first career three-hit game, came after a pregame conversation with Martinez about getting on base.
“This is the best [home run of my career], for sure,” Hassell said. “It’s something I’ve been waiting for. You imagine what it’s like and all that, but it finally happened and I feel blessed.”
The Nationals -- who have never lost a series at T-Mobile Park since the yard opened in 1999 -- have the opportunity to take the set in Thursday's rubber game.
“I’m proud of them for bouncing back today,” said Martinez. “Yesterday was a tough game. We came back today and played the game the right way.”