WASHINGTON -- James Wood and Luis García Jr. each smacked a home run, and two strike-'em-out, throw-'em-out double plays pushed the Nationals to their sixth series win in May in a 4-2 dispatch of the Padres.
Washington has not lost a series since May 8-10 in Miami, and went 16-12 in May -- the most wins in a single month for the franchise since August of 2023 (17-11).
The Nationals (31-29) have won 20 of their past 33 games dating back to April 25.
Wood’s 16th homer of the year was a two-run blast in the fifth off Padres starter Griffin Canning, the ball soaring a Statcast-projected 417 feet. Pinch-hitter Andrés Chaparro added on in the seventh, dropping in a run-scoring double to provide valuable insurance to right-hander Zack Littell’s memorable May turnaround.
Wood has reached base safely in seven of his 12 career plate appearances against Canning, going 4-for-9 with a double, two HRs and three walks.
García, who was 0-for-10 against Canning in his career, crushed a Statcast-projected 402-foot fly ball over the center field wall to open the scoring in the fourth. The first baseman has two homers and eight RBIs over his last six games, hitting .381 (8-for-21).
Littell recorded six shutout frames but struggled to begin the seventh, walking Xander Bogaerts before Jackson Merrill laid down a perfect bunt and Ty France doubled in a run.
But the Nationals were able to avoid a big Padres rally by executing a crowd-pleasing strikeout-throwout double play to end the frame: With two on and one out, reliever Orlando Ribalta struck out pinch-hitter Miguel Andujar on a called third strike, then catcher Keibert Ruiz threw out Sung-Mun Song attempting to steal second. Andujar challenged the pitch result but the call was confirmed.
Littell (5-4) earned his fifth win of the month after an 0-4 April, twirling six-plus innings and allowing two runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts. The right-hander has given up two or fewer earned runs in six straight appearances. Opponents hit 13 homers off Littell in his first six outings, but have been held to just two homers his next six.
Ruiz also threw out Bogaerts trying to steal second to end the fourth. The Nats defense flexed its muscle again in the eighth when Jacob Young robbed Manny Machado of extra bases at the center field wall to end the eighth.
Reliever Clayton Beeter allowed a base hit in the ninth but no runs in recording his fourth save. Ruiz recorded another strikeout double play to end the game, throwing out Jackson Merrill after Beeter struck out France.