WASHINGTON – Top prospect James Wood launched his first career major league home run — a three-run shot — and added a two-run double for a career-high five RBIs as the Washington Nationals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 14-6 on Saturday.
Wood’s 383-foot, three-run opposite home run put the Nationals ahead 7-0 in the second inning. He reached base in all six games as a National, tied with Ian Desmond (2009) for second overall in club history.
“It’s definitely up there, for sure, especially in a game where you want to come out and take the lead early,” Wood said of the home run.
The five RBIs are tied for second most all-time by a Nationals rookie. Danny Espinosa had six RBIs on September 6, 2010.
“It was good,” Wood said. “I was making good shots, but a lot of them were on the ground, so it was good to get the ball in the air.”
In the third, Wood hit a double off the left field wall to score two more. The home run and double are his first big league extra-base hits.
“He hit the big home run for us and then the double when they started to come back,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. I love his batting. He is very patient. He’s trying to get the ball into the zone we’ve been talking about since spring training. So he’s fine.”
Keibert Ruiz went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a three-run homer off Cardinals starter Lance Lynn (4-4).
The Nationals scored 14 runs on a season-high 15 hits with three home runs and four doubles.
Lynn allowed a career-worst eleven runs – 10 earned – in 2 2/3 innings on 82 pitches, with nine hits, four walks and two strikeouts, his shortest outing of the season. He has allowed three home runs as a starter just one more time this season (April 4 vs. Miami).
“First inning, two home runs on the first few pitches, they did a good job of taking me out of what I do,” Lynn said. “They hit the balls well and then I wasn’t executing the shots either. So when you have all of that in one day, it’s a bad day. There is no other way to say it. I didn’t play well today.”
CJ Abrams drilled a solo home run over the right-center field wall, his 14th of the season on the first pitch from the bottom of the first. Ruiz followed with a three-run first pitch to the same zone, the ball traveling 403 feet.
Luis Garcia Jr. added three hits, including a double, a run and two RBIs. Lane Thomas also scored a run and had two hits, a stolen base and two RBIs.
Nationals left-hander MacKenzie Gore was unable to take advantage of the early lead, struggling with control, walking five, allowing six hits and five runs in 3 1/3 innings on 90 pitches. Jacob Barnes (5-2) pitched two scoreless innings for the win in relief. The Nationals have won three of the last four after going 1-7.
“I was behind on the count, so when you go out on a long inning in this heat, make it a little harder on yourself than necessary,” Gore said. “This one is frustrating for that reason alone. It was kind of my fault, the one who was doing it. But we won the game.”
Nolan Gorman had three hits, including two doubles, but struck out third with the bases loaded against Gore. Brendan Donovan extended his streak at the plate to 19 games.
It was the Cardinals’ second loss in six games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
The Nationals recalled third baseman Trey Lipscomb and designated veteran third baseman Nick Senzel for assignment. It’s the fourth time Lipscomb has been called up, but this time he’ll have a broader perspective. Lipscomb went 1-for-5 with a run scored.
“We felt like it was time for Trey to come out and play most of the time at third base,” Martinez said. “We want to give him a chance. He went out there and checked all the boxes, started swinging the bat really well.”
NEXT
The Cardinals sent right-hander Kyle Gibson (6-3, 3.88 ERA) to the mound against Nationals left-hander DJ Herz (1-2, 4.67) on Sunday.
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