The Nationals got a lift from two players who had been waiting a while for a moment like this.
Andrés Chaparro and Nasim Nuñez each launched his first home run of the season in Washington’s 10-2 win over the Red Sox on Wednesday afternoon, both against left-hander Payton Tolle.
Chaparro set the tone from the No. 3 spot in the order. He jumped a 95.3 mph four-seamer and drove it 396 feet at 106.1 mph into the Green Monster seats.
Statcast had the ball going out in all 30 ballparks. Before that swing, Chaparro was hitting .156 on the season, and his longest hit of the year had been a 390-foot flyout to center field on Opening Day at Wrigley Field.
He had not homered since Aug. 27, 2025, at Yankee Stadium.
Nuñez followed three innings later and added another jolt. He turned on a 92.4 mph first-pitch fastball and sent it 372 feet to the Green Monster.
The solo shot left the bat at 101.5 mph and bounced off the National Car Rental sign. It was Nuñez’s first homer since he went deep in back-to-back games on Sept. 21-22, 2025, in New York and Atlanta.
His farthest-hit ball this season had been a 381-foot triple on June 16 against the Royals.
While those two supplied the power, the Nationals’ pitching kept Boston from ever settling in. Brad Lord, Andrew Alvarez, Riley Cornelio and Carson Palmquist combined to give up just two runs in the win.
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Bob Nightengale recently suggested the Nationals are unlikely to trade Abrams this season, pointing to the public relations hit such a move could bring and the fact that the shortstop remains under club control through 2028. That gives Washington time to weigh a trade or a contract extension later on, with the decision potentially pushed toward the 2028 deadline or offseason. [Read more 🡒]