Nationals Defeat Giants 4-2 as Wood and Lord Shine

SAN FRANCISCO, California — The Washington Nationals snapped a two-game losing streak by defeating the San Francisco Giants 4-2 on Saturday, August 9, 2025. James Wood hit a home run, and Brad Lord pitched six strong innings for his first career win as a starter.

Wood’s leadoff home run in the first inning marked his first long ball since July 9. He added an RBI double in the sixth, helping the Nationals build a formidable 4-0 lead. Meanwhile, Lord, a 25-year-old rookie, allowed only one run on four hits, along with five strikeouts and two walks in his third major league start.

“It feels amazing to contribute to the team like this,” said Wood. “I’ve been working hard, and it’s good to see that pay off.”

Paul DeJong and Josh Bell also made their mark for Washington, hitting back-to-back home runs off Giants pitcher Carson Whisenhunt in the third inning. Bell, who has been better from the left side of the plate, continues to improve after a tough start to the season.

Whisenhunt (1-1) faced challenges, giving up three runs and three hits in four innings before being replaced. The Giants managed to score two runs, with Rafael Devers hitting a solo home run in the sixth and adding a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

The game’s turning point came in the eighth inning when Nationals closer Jose A. Ferrer came in to secure a five-out save, ending the inning by inducing a double play after allowing one run to score.

“Today was a complete team effort,” Lord noted. “The offense stepped up, and the defense supported us well. Hopefully, we can keep this momentum going.”

The Nationals will look to secure the series win on Sunday against the Giants in the final game of the series, with hopes of building on their recent success.