Trevor Williams pitches Nationals past struggling Mariners

Trevor Williams pitched six scoreless innings and was backed by a home-run barrage as the Washington Nationals defeated the host Seattle Mariners 9-0 Wednesday night.

Luis Garcia Jr. and Josh Bell hit back-to-back homers in the second inning for the Nationals, who have won seven of their past 10 games.

James Wood added a second tape-measure shot in as many nights, leading off the fifth with a 435-foot blast off the facade of the second deck in right field at T-Mobile Park.

Robert Hassell III hit his first major league homer, a solo shot to center in the eighth inning.

Williams (3-5) allowed three hits, didn't walk a batter and struck out two.

The American League West-leading Mariners lost for the fourth time in six games to see their division edge over Houston dwindle to a half-game.

Mariners right-hander George Kirby (0-2), making just his second start of the season after being shut down in spring training due to right shoulder inflammation, gave up six runs on seven hits over five innings, with two walks and four strikeouts. The three homers Kirby allowed were one shy of his career high, set May 26, 2023 against Pittsburgh.

Garcia went deep to right-center with one out in the second and Bell followed with an opposite-field drive into the Nationals' bullpen in left field.

Washington added three runs with a two-out rally in the fourth to make it 5-0. Garcia walked and Bell grounded a single to left. Hassell lined a run-scoring single and Jose Tena followed with a two-run double, both to left.

Wood's homer in the fifth made it 6-0.

The Nationals tallied three times in the eighth off Blas Castano, who was making his MLB debut. Following Hassell's homer, Daylen Lile hit a two-out double to right and CJ Abrams was hit by a pitch. Wood's two-run double to left-center completed the scoring.

--Field Level Media