WASHINGTON (AP) — James Wood homered, tripled and scored four runs, and the Washington Nationals erased a quick four-run deficit to beat the San Francisco Giants 11-5 on Tuesday night.
Wood also walked twice and stole two bases for the Nationals, who have won three of four after losing five straight.
CJ Abrams hit a three-run homer and Keibert Ruiz had three hits including a solo shot for Washington, which finished with 15 hits. Alex Call added a pair of RBI doubles and a walk.
“We went from real gloomy to boom,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “What they did was play hard for 27 outs. They really did. They started working good at-bats and they started driving the ball.”
MacKenzie Gore (7-9) continued his recent struggles but navigated through five innings for his first win since June 14, allowing five runs on eight hits. He walked two and struck out six. Over his last nine starts, Gore is 1-4 with a 7.24 ERA.
Three Washington relievers combined to pitch four scoreless innings of one-hit ball to close it out.
Michael Conforto had a three-run homer, double and a walk for the Giants (57-58), who were looking to climb above .500 for the first time since they ended play on May 29 with a 29-28 record.
San Francisco rookie Hayden Birdsong (3-1) was staked to the early lead but couldn’t hold it. He was lifted after two-plus innings, allowing seven runs on five hits — two of them home runs. He walked three batters, all of whom scored.
“Today he just really didn’t have command of anything early on,” manager Bob Melvin said. “And they were putting some good swings on him, putting a lot of pressure on him. Never really had kind of a break out there. But not his best.”
Heliot Ramos homered to make it 1-0 with one out in the top of the first. Gore walked Matt Chapman with two outs and hit Mark Canha before Conforto lined a three-run homer to right center.
Wood tripled to ignite a five-run second inning capped by Abrams’ three-run drive off Birdsong on a shoulder-high fastball.
“I have no idea how he hit that ball,” Birdsong said. “Good for him. That guy can hit. And they can hit fastballs. … I knew that going in. Not very many people are probably hitting that ball. It was impressive.”
And Abrams reaction?
“I was confused about why I swung,” he said. “But I was happy I did.”
Ruiz homered leading off the third inning to make it 6-4 and later in the inning Call doubled off reliever Randy Rodriguez to score Wood with Washington’s seventh run.
Wood capped his night with a two-run homer in the eighth as Washington outscored San Francisco 11-1 after the first inning.
“I think just knowing that we’re able to string together some hits and get guys on base,” Wood said of the team’s mindset during the comeback. “At that point, it just takes a big swing to get us right back into it.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Giants: CF Ramos returned after missing the past two games with a jammed right thumb. … Manager Bob Melvin said INF Wilmer Flores (right knee tendinitis) will be out the rest of the season after having a Tenex procedure on his knee on Tuesday.
UP NEXT
San Francisco LHP Blake Snell (1-3, 4.29), who pitched a no-hitter against the Reds last time out, opposes RHP Jake Irvin (8-9, 3.56) on Wednesday.
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