Wood Powers Late Rally
James Wood delivered a decisive four-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning, propelling the Washington Nationals to a 12-11 victory over the Houston Astros at Nationals Park on Monday. Wood’s blast, which measured 446 feet, capped a dramatic offensive explosion that erased a deficit and shifted the momentum entirely in favor of the home team.
Early Back-and-Forth Action
The contest began with immediate offensive production from both sides. In the top of the first inning, the Astros struck first when Walker doubled to center field, bringing Paredes home for a 1-0 lead. The Nationals answered in the same frame, with Mead doubling to center to score Wood, tying the game at 1-1.
Houston regained the lead in the second inning when Altuve launched a 372-foot home run to left field, driving in Shewmake and Matthews for a 4-1 advantage. The Nationals responded quickly in the third inning. Diaz homered to left (389 feet) to score Smith, cutting the deficit to 4-2. Following a double by García Jr. and a single by Mead that scored another run, the Nationals tied the game at 6-6 when Abrams launched a 392-foot home run to right field, driving in García Jr. and Mead.
Astros Extend Lead Before Collapse
Houston regained the lead in the fifth inning. Mead hit a 404-foot home run to left-center field to make it 6-5. Millas followed with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Abrams to push the Astros’ lead to 7-6. However, the inning took a dramatic turn when Wood hit his fourth home run of the game, a 446-foot shot to center field that scored Crews, Young, and Nuñez. The blast gave Washington an 11-7 lead, marking a pivotal shift in the game’s trajectory.
