In an uncommon baseball feat, Washington Nationals’ right-fielder James Wood hit an inside-the-park grand slam during the second inning against the Mets on Tuesday. The play unfolded as Wood’s hit off Mets’ pitcher Nolan McLean bounced off the outfield wall, deflected by left-fielder Nick Morabito’s glove. Despite Morabito and center-fielder Tyrone Taylor’s efforts, the ball got away, allowing Nationals’ runners to score.
After crashing into the wall in pursuit of the ball, Morabito recovered and threw it to a teammate, but the subsequent throw to the catcher was too late to catch Wood, who slid home. Wood’s grand slam narrowed the Mets’ lead from 5-0 to just one run through two innings. Ultimately, the Nationals won the game 9-6.
Inside-the-park grand slams are a rarity in baseball history, with only around 200 recorded by Major League Baseball. Wood’s grand slam marked the ninth since 1994 and the second for the Nationals since their move to Washington in 2005. The last official inside-the-park grand slam was in 2022 by a Blue Jay player at Fenway Park, contributing to a record-breaking win for the Jays over the Red Sox.