Luis García Powers Nationals to Dominant Victory with First Grand Slam

PHOENIX (AP) — In an impressive display of power, Luis García Jr. hit his inaugural grand slam, marking his second home run of the night, as the Washington Nationals triumphed over the Arizona Diamondbacks with a score of 14-1 on Friday. The Nationals showcased their offensive prowess with additional homers from James Wood, Daylen Lile, and C.J. Abrams, while pitcher Foster Griffin (7-2) delivered a stellar performance, conceding only two hits across five innings.

With this victory, Washington improved its record to 32-32, returning to a .500 standing. The Nationals wasted no time against Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly (5-4), as Wood opened the game with a walk, followed by García's home run that sailed into the Nationals’ bullpen along the right-field line.

García, typically not facing left-handed pitchers, faced Philip Abner in the sixth with the bases loaded. He capitalized on the opportunity, hitting his seventh homer of the year to center field, extending the lead to 11-1. The only scoring threat for Arizona came from backup catcher Aramis Garcia, who hit a home run in the third inning.

Kelly struggled during his five innings on the mound, surrendering six hits and seven runs. In a rare move, with the score at 12-1 in the eighth inning, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo brought in position player Adrian Del Castillo to pitch. Del Castillo hit Dylan Crews with his first pitch, allowing another run to score, but he managed to retire the next two batters to conclude the inning. He also allowed a run in the ninth after giving up four singles.

In his major league debut, James Groover went 0 for 4 while playing first base for the Diamondbacks. The 24-year-old was called up from Reno after a strong Triple-A season, where he boasted a .322 batting average with three home runs. Additionally, Ildemaro Vargas, who was absent from the lineup initially, entered the game in the eighth inning, getting hit by a pitch but remaining in the contest.

Looking ahead, Washington's Zack Littell (5-4, 5.01 ERA) is slated to face Arizona's Eduardo Rodriguez (5-1, 2.24 ERA) in the upcoming matchup on Saturday.