A seat fit for a star: Wood earns own red seat with upper-deck homer

WASHINGTON -- Nothing quite gets the Fourth of July festivities in the nation's capital off to a better start than a dramatic first-pitch home run by Nationals superstar James Wood.

And for Wood, he’s best at getting the party started in Major League Baseball with a leadoff homer, the knock his seventh of the season -- one more than both the Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani and the Twins' Byron Buxton, as of final out.

"CJ [Abrams] always jokes from the dugout steps, it’s always 1-0 [Nationals] just 'cause the chance that Woody can do what he did like he did today,” manager Blake Butera said. “Woody is a really good hitter and when we get him up to the plate as many times as possible we like our chances."

Ironically in-step with the tribute to America’s 250th Birthday celebration on the National Mall (a little over a mile north of Nationals Park), Wood’s blast will be commemorated with a red seat where it landed in first row of Section 236 in the third deck, a Statcast-projected 428 feet from home plate down the right-field line off Pirates right-handed starter Braxton Ashcraft in Washington's 7-1 loss.

"It felt pretty good,” Wood said. “I knew I was going to have the chance to ambush a fastball there, so [I’m] just glad to be able to connect with it."

Wood also explained his mindset as he stepped into the box vs. Ashcraft: "Just knowing what you are looking for. He's got good breaking stuff so just being able to get a fastball early and just be ready for that."

The round-tripper was the first Nationals homer to reach the third deck since catcher Keibert Ruiz’s homer April 1, 2023, against the Braves. It is the 11th homer to reach the third deck and land in Sections 234 or 236.

"I guess he gets his own red chair now?” Butera said. “It was time. He does it all the time [in] batting practice so to see him do that like he did today to lead off the game, it's pretty impressive."

Wood was well aware of Ruiz’s homer.

"Yeah, for sure,” Wood said. “I think especially the lefties it's something we kind of talk about every once and awhile. Keibert's the only active National that's got one there, so it's pretty cool."

Wood’s 23rd homer of the year tied the game in the first inning, but the Nationals' offense was unable to generate much else against Ashcraft and the Pirates, after they took the series opener on Friday.

The young right fielder has now hit 54 homers since the beginning of the 2025 season, with 34 homers at home in his career.

Nationals opener Carson Palmquist struggled from the outset, allowing four runs on four hits in one inning plus three batters.

Right-hander Zack Littell settled down after the second inning, allowing one run on four hits over 6 1/3 innings. Despite the rocky start, he felt his pitching was business as usual because he has been in this spot before.

"It really didn't feel all that different,” Littell said. “I got a good amount of experience coming out of the bullpen anyway. It felt very normal, natural in that sense. I knew that I had a good process. We got ahead of guys. We made pitches on the edges.

“It wasn't like we were barreled into the gap where it's like, 'OK, we got to figure something out'. It was just like -- if we do what we did just right there we are going to have a pretty good day. It just sucks that all three of those [singles] came back-to-back-to-back."

The offense was unable to replicate the five-homer nine-run barrage Friday night, grounding into three double plays with 11 strikeouts and going just 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position for Washington's second loss in its past seven games.

The Nationals mustered just five singles after Wood’s opening solo homer, including a 2-for-4 day from Daylen Lile. Wood also walked twice.

"I wish I could do it all the time, but that's baseball,” Wood said of his monster 428-foot blast to right-field upper deck. “But when it does happen that feels pretty good."