It seemed inevitable that Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood would launch the first grand slam of his career. The added surprise: He did it in jaw-dropping inside-the-park fashion.
The DMV native delivered a rare inside-the-park grand slam on Tuesday night, leading the Nationals to a 9-6 comeback victory over the New York Mets at Nationals Park.
“Pretty good,” Wood said when asked how the momentous occasion felt.
Trailing 5-0 in the second inning, Washington loaded the bases with two outs against Mets starting pitcher Nolan McLean.
Wood managed to drive a first-pitch sweeper to the opposite field, where it bounced off the glove of leaping outfielder Nick Morabito, and rolled back to center field.
Center fielder Tyrone Taylor made his way into the action from center field, losing track of the ball while looking at Morabito who fell onto the warning track. That mistake alone allowed Wood to make his race around the bases with no hesitation.
The 23-year-old circled the bases in 15.15 seconds before sliding headfirst across home plate well ahead of the throw. This play marked Wood’s first career grand slam, his 13th homer of the season, and the 53rd home run of his young career.
“He just seems to get better and better,” said Nationals Manager Blake Butera.
It also marked the ninth inside-the-park grand slam in Major League Baseball (MLB) since 1994 and the first one since Toronto Blue Jays’ outfielder Raimel Tapia hit one on July 22, 2022.
“I think it’s just a testament to James, our coaches, just the work that they’ve put in together, starting this offseason, and continuing to do that everyday,” Butera continued. “He’s showing all the different tools he has in terms of running, hitting, defense — it’s just fun to watch.”
The Nationals franchise has now produced two inside-the-park grand slams since relocating to Washington in 2005. The other hit came on Sept. 8, 2017, from center fielder Michael A. Taylor against Philadelphia.
Remarkably, Nationals Park has been the site for three of the four inside-the-park grand slams recorded this century, including Aaron Altherr’s on Sept. 25, 2015.
With Tuesday’s unforgettable sprint around the bases, Wood has etched onto one of baseball’s rarest lists and given the Nationals yet another jaw-dropping moment in a season already full of surprises.
“We believe in every single one of these guys and they’re on our team for a reason. We think they can make an impact,” said Butera. “As they’ve shown today, as they’ve shown a handful of times already this year…to rise to the occasion the way that they have, it’s awesome.”
