WASHINGTON -- Experienced leadership and offensive power. The Nationals acquired Josh Bell and Nathaniel Lowe this offseason to bring both qualities to the clubhouse and the field this season.
The veterans did just that with a pair of home runs to lift the Nats to their first win of the season -- 5-1 over the Phillies on Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park. The homers covered a combined total projected distance of 821 feet, according to Statcast.
¡°Those are our two big boys,¡± manager Dave Martinez said. ¡°... It¡¯s awesome to see those guys come through like that.¡±
Bell looked forward to focusing primarily on the designated hitter role when he rejoined Washington on a one-year deal. In the past, Bell had also played first base. But that position was covered by Lowe, who the Nats acquired from the Rangers in exchange for reliever Robert Garcia.
The Nationals plugged the lefty-hitting Lowe, 29, and switch-hitting Bell, 32, in the middle of the lineup behind the young top of the order.
¡°It¡¯s really good to know that you¡¯ve got some guys that understand the league,¡± Martinez said.
Bell snapped an 0-for-9 start to the season in the fourth inning. With Keibert Ruiz and Lowe on first and second of a scoreless game, Bell crushed a first-pitch, 91.9 mph fastball from right-hander Aaron Nola. It soared a Statcast-projected 400 feet at 102.4 mph to center field. Bell entered the game batting .194 with one home run in 31 career at-bats vs. Nola.
¡°I¡¯m really proud of him because I know the first couple games, he struggled a little bit and he wants to help us,¡± Martinez said. ¡°For him to come through like that, it was awesome. Honestly, it was a big uplift for our team.¡±
The homer was meaningful to Bell, who originally played in Washington from 2021-22 and hit 41 homers during that time. It was his first at Nationals Park in a Nats uniform since July 30, 2022.
¡°Some of my favorite homers are here,¡± Bell said. ¡°Especially the crowd this weekend, I wanted to do something for them. My parents are here. It¡¯s definitely nostalgic, I have some really fond memories here. Big homer there, and hopefully a lot more to come this summer.¡±
After scoring on Bell¡¯s home run, Lowe hit one of his own in the sixth inning. On the seventh pitch of a full count, Lowe connected on a 91.1 mph fastball from Nola for a 421-foot, 108 mph two-run dinger. He drove in Ruiz for the deciding 5-0 lead.
¡°I was waiting on [Nola] to make a mistake, because when he makes his pitches, it¡¯s really tough,¡± Lowe said. ¡°He got me the first time, made a couple pitches the second time through and then I got to capitalize on a mistake that third time.¡±
Lowe, a 2022 Silver Slugger Award winner, went yard in consecutive games for the fifth time in his career. He is nine shy of reaching the 100 home run milestone.
¡°He just works good at-bats,¡± Martinez said. ¡°He¡¯s very patient, he swings at strikes. He¡¯s going to chase every now and then, but for the most part, he makes you work out there. When he gets a ball to hit, you see what he can do.¡±
The home runs preserved another solid effort by a Nationals starter. Southpaw Mitchell Parker delivered 6 1/3 scoreless innings in his first start of the season. The starting trio of Parker, MacKenzie Gore and Jake Irvin pitched at least five frames with two or fewer runs allowed. It¡¯s the fifth time in Nats history (2005-present) that Washington¡¯s starters have worked five or more innings and allowed two runs or fewer in each of the team¡¯s first three games of the season -- joining 2018, '17, '13 and '11.
In the series finale, the bats of Bell and Lowe helped push the pitching performance into the win column.
¡°It feels good to do your job well,¡± Lowe said. ¡°The game¡¯s hard, it¡¯s going to be a long summer, but to be able to contribute today was really exciting.¡±