CINCINNATI -- Daniel Nava does not do this everywhere he goes, but forgive Phillies fans for thinking he does.
Nava hit home runs in his first two plate appearances in the Phillies' 7-4 loss to the Reds on Thursday afternoon in the series finale at Great American Ball Park. He hit a solo home run to right field in the first inning and a two-run home run to right field in the third.
"It's a good feeling," he said. "I'm not going to complain about it."
Nava became just the second player in franchise history to homer in his first two plate appearances in his first game with the Phillies. Jeremy Giambi homered in his first two plate appearances against the Expos at Olympic Stadium on May 25, 2002. Gene Freese homered in his first two plate appearances with the Phillies in 1959, but they came in two games five days apart.
Interestingly, Nava hit a grand slam against Phillies right-hander Joe Blanton in his first big league plate appearance with the Red Sox on June 12, 2010.
Those are the only two times he has homered in his first plate appearance with a new team.
"I hit one home run in high school," Nava said. "And that was over a three-foot fence. Senior year of high school."
Nava started in left field on Thursday, as Phillies manager Pete Mackanin wanted to give a few bench players the opportunity to play after not having played since Friday's Grapefruit League finale in Clearwater, Fla.
Nava made the most of his opportunity, which is extra special as he earned one of the team's final two bench jobs late last week as Spring Training concluded.
"It makes a lot of the work that I did this offseason a little more rewarding, a little sweeter," Nava said. "That's a good incentive to keep doing what I've been doing. ... It's rewarding to contribute. That's for sure."
He hit the first homer on a 0-1 slider against Reds rookie Rookie Davis. It left his bat at 102 mph and travelled 393 feet, according to Statcast™. He hit the second on a 1-2 changeup. It left his bat at 99 mph and traveled 420 feet.
The power display from a Phillies left fielder is welcome. Phillies left fielders hit just 13 home runs last season. They did not hit their second homer until May 18.