James Wood of the Washington Nationals made a remarkable play during Tuesday’s game against the Mets by hitting an inside-the-park grand slam in the second inning. The impressive feat occurred after Wood connected with a hit off Mets pitcher Nolan McLean, sending the ball into the outfield.
The ball initially hit the wall at Nationals Park before bouncing off the glove of Mets’ left-fielder Nick Morabito, who was playing his first major-league game. Despite a valiant effort by Tyrone Taylor, the Mets’ centre-fielder, the ball got away from both outfielders, allowing the Nationals’ base-runners to score.
Morabito, who had displayed strong defensive skills earlier in the game, crashed into the outfield wall while trying to catch Wood’s hit, losing his cap and sunglasses in the process. He quickly recovered and retrieved the ball, throwing it to a teammate who attempted to make a play at home plate but was unsuccessful as Wood slid in safely.
Wood’s inside-the-park grand slam narrowed the Mets’ lead to just one run after they had initially been ahead 5-0. The Nationals went on to win the game 9-6 against New York.
Inside-the-park grand slams are rare in baseball history, with Major League Baseball (MLB) reporting over 200 such instances. Wood’s grand slam was only the ninth since 1994 and the second for the Nationals since their relocation to Washington in 2005.
In a similar play back in 2022, a Blue Jays player hit an inside-the-park grand slam at Fenway Park in Boston, contributing to a significant win for Toronto. This type of play is uncommon, with most grand slams typically involving errors from the opposing team.