The Nationals' clubhouse was playing music this morning as it normally does before a game. Traditionally, it’s the pick of that day’s starting pitcher. For Trevor Williams, it was a country/pop-rock combination.
Despite an 11-game losing streak – one shy of the Nationals club (2005-present) record – the vibes this morning felt no different than it normally does. There wasn’t extra tension. No one seemed to be walking on pins and needles. It was the same laid-back, yet focused, atmosphere as this young team typically has.
The question was: Would there be music playing in the clubhouse after the game, signifying a celebration following a victory? It would be the first such occurrence for this team in almost two weeks.
The result: A 4-3 walk-off win in 11 innings against the Rockies to snap the losing streak and get the Nats back in the win column.
Of course, it wasn’t going to be easy.
Needing a big blow in the worst way, the Nationals turned to, who else, James Wood. And he delivered it in a big way.
Facing right-hander Seth Halvorsen in the 11th inning while down 3-2, Wood blasted the first walk-off home run of his career over the center field wall, sending the home dugout and announced crowd of 21,850 into euphoria.
Wood’s 20th homer, his second of the afternoon, traveled 428 feet and went 110.2 mph off his bat. But the metrics didn’t matter. The win did.
This came after Ryan Loutos gave the Rockies their first lead with a go-ahead RBI single to Michael Toglia in the top frame. But the right-hander ended up as the winning pitcher, the first win of his career.
For Williams, it was another solid effort by the starter to keep the Nationals in the game early.
The right-hander faced the minimum the first time through the order. The only blemish being a leadoff bunt single by Sam Hilliard in the third that was quickly erased as he was caught trying to steal second.
Williams got himself into danger in the fourth, when he loaded the bases with two outs on back-to-back singles and a walk. But he got out of it, thanks to a ground ball for a force out by third baseman Brady House.
And then something happened that hadn’t since Monday’s series opener: The Nationals took the lead.
Who else but Wood would be the one to deliver the big blow the Nats had been searching for?
After CJ Abrams hit a leadoff single in the bottom of the fourth, Wood hit the first pitch from Chase Dollander over the wall and into the red seats in center field. The towering outfielder’s 19th home run of the season traveled 110 mph off the bat and landed 403 feet away, at only a 20-degree launch angle.
But Williams gave the two runs right back in the top of the fifth.
After Orlando Arcia singled with one out, he tried to get back to first on a lineout directly at Luis García Jr. But the second baseman’s throw to first ended up in the camera well, resulting in a two-base error. Williams followed that with back-to-back two-out RBI hits, tying the game at 2-2.
Cole Henry, Jose A. Ferrer, Kyle Finnegan and Zach Brzykcy then kept the Rockies off the board and passed the baton to Loutos in the 11th. It finally ended in a celebration.
There will be postgame music in the clubhouse. And it should continue on the cross-country flight to Los Angeles.