Josh Bell put his name in the Washington Nationals’ record books on Monday night, delivering a rare power feat and a career-best performance at the plate.
Bell homered from both sides of the plate, collected four hits, and drove in six runs to lead the Nationals to a 15-7 rout of the Miami Marlins before a sparse crowd of 7,992 at loanDepot park. He became just the second player in Nationals history to homer from each side in the same game, joining Danny Espinosa, who accomplished the feat twice in the same 2016 series against Cincinnati.
“It’s something you don’t get to see very often,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “Josh was locked in no matter which side he was hitting from. That’s the kind of night that can carry a team.”
Washington (winning for the sixth time in seven games) matched its season highs with 15 runs and 19 hits. Dylan Crews and Luis García Jr. also went deep, and Crews finished with four RBI to fuel the blowout.
The switch-hitting Bell began his night with an RBI single in the fifth that gave Washington a 3-1 lead. Then, batting right-handed in the sixth, he crushed a two-run homer off lefty Josh Simpson to make it 10-2. Later in the same inning, now from the left side, Bell added a towering 413-foot, 110 mph shot into the right-field upper deck, his 19th home run of the season. He capped his historic night with another RBI single in the ninth, tying his career high for hits.
“He just kept finding barrels,” Crews said. “We were all feeding off his energy tonight.”
The Nationals broke the game wide open with a six-run fifth inning. Crews delivered the key blow, a two-out homer to left that stretched the lead to 8-2 and sent Washington’s dugout into celebration.
Cade Cavalli (3-1) worked five innings for the win, giving up two runs and six hits. García’s second-inning solo shot off Janson Junk (6-2), who was activated from the injured list earlier in the day, gave Washington the early edge. Junk was tagged for six runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings.
For Miami, it was another frustrating night before one of its smallest crowds of the season — the 12th under 8,000. Still, there were highlights. Victor Mesa Jr. hit his first major league homer, doubled, and drove in three runs, while Jakob Marsee connected for a solo shot. Heriberto Hernández added an RBI single in the second to briefly tie the game at 1-1.
But the Marlins couldn’t keep pace with Washington’s relentless attack. Crews’ two-out homer in the fifth capped a six-run explosion, giving Washington an 8-2 lead and effectively putting the game out of reach. Washington tied its season high for both runs (15) and hits (19).
The four-game series continues Tuesday night. Left-hander Mitchell Parker (7-15, 5.87 ERA) gets the ball for the Nationals against Miami right-hander Adam Mazur (0-2, 5.74 ERA).
