Mead's Late Blast and Nuñez's Stellar Performance Propel Nationals Past Royals

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a thrilling showdown on Tuesday night, Curtis Mead delivered a pivotal three-run homer in the seventh inning, leading the Washington Nationals to a 6-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals. This win marked a significant moment for the Nationals, as they aim for a three-game sweep on Wednesday, while the Royals continue to struggle, suffering their sixth defeat in seven games, now sitting 16 games below .500 for the season.

Paxton Schultz (1-2) secured the win in relief, while Gus Varland closed out the game, allowing a solo home run to former National Lane Thomas for his sixth save. The loss fell to Daniel Lynch IV (2-1). Nationals starter Foster Griffin had a solid outing, yielding just one run on six hits over six innings, complemented by two walks and six strikeouts. Griffin, a first-round draft pick for Kansas City twelve years ago, has impressively limited opponents to one run or fewer in four of his last five starts.

The game saw the Royals momentarily even the score at 3-3 in the seventh, thanks to a two-run single from Isaac Collins. However, the Nationals quickly responded. After Nasim Nuñez walked and then beat the throw to second base on a grounder, he stole third base without a throw. Pinch-hitter Andrés Chaparro walked, setting the stage for Mead's decisive drive to left-center field, marking his 11th homer of the season.

Nuñez had a standout performance, tripling twice and crossing home three times. He now shares the major league lead with Bobby Witt Jr. for the most stolen bases this season, boasting 26. In addition to his offensive contributions, Nuñez made a crucial diving catch in the second inning, showcasing his defensive skills.

As for the Royals, they had to remove third baseman Maikel Garcia from the game in the sixth inning due to soreness in his left hand. The Nationals will send Zack Littell (6-5, 5.32 ERA) to the mound against Kansas City's Luinder Avila (1-3, 6.19) on Wednesday, looking to secure the series sweep.