WASHINGTON (AP) — James Wood hit a tiebreaking solo homer in Washington’s three-run seventh inning, and the Nationals beat the Chicago White Sox 6-5 on Saturday.
Jacob Young and Daylen Lile also went deep for the Nationals, who had dropped eight of 11. Josh Bell had two hits and scored a run.
Colson Montgomery and Brooks Baldwin homered for the White Sox in a matchup of last-place teams. Derek Hill had two hits.
Nasim Nuñez sparked Washington’s seventh-inning rally with a one-out single. Young followed with a 380-foot drive to left, tying it at 4.
Brandon Eisert (3-8) then replaced Steven Wilson on the mound, and Wood hit a 419-foot drive to center for his 31st homer.
Wood added an RBI single in the eighth. He finished with three hits.
Julian Fernandez (1-0) pitched one inning for his first major league win, and Jose A. Ferrer worked a shaky ninth for his 11th save.
Hill drove in Korey Lee with a two-out RBI single, but Lenyn Sosa was stranded on third when Chase Meidroth struck out swinging for the final out.
Montgomery hit a two-run shot in the fourth. It was the 21st homer in 70 games for the rookie shortstop.
After a walk and a flyout, Baldwin launched a drive to right that hit the foul pole for a two-run homer and a 4-0 lead.
In the bottom half, Bell doubled and Lile connected for his ninth homer.
Wood struck out twice, bringing his league-leading total to 218. Mark Reynolds holds the MLB single-season record for strikeouts with 223 in 2009.
The start of the game was delayed 40 minutes by rain.
Key moment
Meidroth was initially called safe at second with a double on a close play leading off the eighth. The Nationals challenged and the review determined Meidroth came off the bag and was ruled out.
Key stat
Montgomery had three hits, extending his hitting streak to a career-high nine games.
Up next
Shane Smith (6-8, 3.98 ERA) starts for the White Sox on Sunday, and fellow right-hander Brad Lord (5-9, 4.12 ERA) goes for the Nationals.
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