The Washington Nationals completed a three-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday with a 6-3 win. The Nats got off to a historic start as CJ Abrams and Lane Thomas opened the game with back-to-back home runs on the game’s first two pitches.
Abrams crushed a 95-mph fastball from Reds’ starter Lyon Richardson. The ball traveled 402 feet into the right field seats. Richardson threw a 96-mph fastball on the very next pitch. Thomas sent it 406 feet over the center field wall.
The duo became the first two players to hit back-to-back home runs on the first two pitches of the game in the Nats’ history since the franchise moved from Montreal to D.C., according to Elias Sports.
Poor Lyon Richardson. The 2018 second-round pick of the Reds was making his MLB debut. His first two pitches left the yard, as Abrams and Thomas took advantage of jumping on the prospect’s fastballs.
Lane Thomas is having a career year this season. He has been the team’s most consistent hitter all season. The Nats fielded trade offers for Thomas but did not get one enticing enough to part away from the 27-year-old outfielder.
Thomas finished the game with three RBI. He leads the club in batting average (.290), home runs (19), and RBI (65).
Meanwhile, the 22-year-old CJ Abrams has been on a surge lately. Since being moved to the leadoff hitter has been on a tear. Sunday, he finished the game 4-for-5 at the plate and was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.
Abrams is hitting .330 with a .886 OPS in 115 plate appearances as the leadoff hitter this season.
