WASHINGTON -- James Wood took a Little League grand slam to Major League proportions.
With the bases loaded in the second inning of Tuesday's bout with the Mets at Nationals Park, Wood clocked a first-pitch sweeper from Nolan McLean a Statcast-projected 379 feet toward the Mets' bullpen.
Left fielder Nick Morabito -- a McLean, Va., native making his Major League debut -- and center fielder Tyrone Taylor converged for the ball.
But the 101.3 mph fly ball bounced off the glove of Morabito, and he slammed into the wall and onto the warning track. Taylor paused momentarily, looked at his teammate on the ground and then lifted his head toward the bullpen, seemingly unaware of where the ball landed.
Morabito bounced up and chased after the ball, which had rolled into center field.
Meanwhile, the 6-foot-6 Wood was dashing around the bases at a sprint speed of 29.4 feet per second.
By the time the Mets executed their relay, Wood already was approaching home. He safely slid headfirst into home plate for the inside-the-park grand slam, the first bases-clearing homer of his career.
There have only been three inside-the-park grand slams in the past 10 years, and two of them belong to Nationals players.
Michael A. Taylor connected on the first in team history (2005-present) on Sept. 8, 2017, against the Phillies. Raimel Tapia also hit one on July 22, 2022, with the Blue Jays.