WASHINGTON -- Nasim Nuñez narrowly missed his first home run of the season. Instead, he ended up with an all-around game that showcased his speed, athleticism and grit.
“My best big league performance, in my opinion,” Nuñez said. “It was pretty cool. I showed off all my tools, and then we came out with a win -- and even bigger, a series win at home.”
In the Nats’ 6-4 victory over the Royals at Nationals Park on Tuesday, Nuñez went 2-for-2 with two triples, two walks, three runs scored, one RBI and one stolen base. He propelled the Nationals to 39-35 and their fourth win in a row.
“What a game,” said manager Blake Butera. “... Everything he did tonight, he was unbelievable. We were so fired up for Nas.”
Nuñez, who the Nationals acquired from Miami via the Rule 5 Draft in 2023, became only the seventh player in team history (2005-present) to hit at least two triples in a single game. He joined Daylen Lile (Sept. 5, 2025), CJ Abrams (April 7, 2023), Ben Revere (Aug. 13, 2016), Denard Span (May 31, 2013), Cristian Guzmán (April 7, 2008) and Bernie Castro (Sept. 16, 2006), all of whom recorded two triples.
“The first one was a changeup, where I felt like it was off the end of the bat, but found his spot down the right-field line,” said Royals starter Michael Wacha. “He’s got good speed. Felt like the next one was a well-executed slider down and in, and he was able to get the barrel to it. Would have liked to keep that guy off base, especially turning the lineup over after him. He’s a hot hitter right now.”
Nuñez hit a line-drive RBI triple to right field in the third inning, lacing a changeup from Wacha that bounced toward the outfield corner. Nuñez churned around the bases at a 29 feet per second sprint speed.
In the fifth, Nuñez belted a slider 383 feet to the center-field wall. He narrowly missed his first dinger of the season. (It would have been a homer at four ballparks.) When Nuñez saw the ball was still in play, he charged to third base at 29.2 feet per second. He reached safely on a stand-up triple, evading an outstretched tag attempt by Maikel Garcia.
“When I rounded first base, I lost the ball in the lights, so I thought it went in the stands,” Nuñez said. "Then I saw it bounce. I was like, 'Time to turn it up.'”
Nuñez didn’t stop hustling. He earned a leadoff walk against reliever Daniel Lynch IV in a pivotal seventh inning. When James Wood grounded out to shortstop, Nuñez avoided the double play by sliding headfirst into second base. He then stole his NL-leading 26th base of the season. The next at-bat, Nuñez scored on Curtis Mead’s go-ahead three-run homer.
“He’s special,” said Mead. “He just creates chaos out there on the bases, and he’s really the guy that you want the ball hit to out on defense. It feels like every time it goes near him, he does something crazy. It’s kind of cool for him to have pretty much a perfect game.”
Nuñez also helped keep the Royals off the bases. In the second inning, he laid out on the grass to make a diving catch to rob a Tyler Tolbert looping line drive against Foster Griffin.
“Honestly, I've pictured making that play in past games a lot,” Nuñez said. “I've been telling myself, that's one of those plays that I kind of envision myself making, but it never happened until today. And then when it did happen today, I didn't even think I was going to get to it, and I just -- magnet, I guess. It just wound up in my glove.”
In the ninth, he made a nice backhanded snag to start a double play and empty the bases, helping secure Gus Varland’s sixth save of the season.
“What he did from both sides of the ball was really impressive,” said Griffin. “... It’s just the ultimate confidence. You saw -- not just with me, [but] then there at the end, the double play that he and CJ turned was unbelievable.”
Nuñez is 4-for-4 in the first two games of the series with eight total bases. After batting below .200 in April and May, he is slashing .364/.462/.591 in his last seven games.
“It's a constant climb,” Nuñez said. “There's a quote that I like. It was like, 'At the top of the mountain is the bottom of the next one, so you've got to keep climbing. Don't get caught up in the highs and lows, just keep going. [Starts to sing] Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming.’ Who said that? Dory?”
On Tuesday night, Nuñez’s game said it all.