WASHINGTON (AP) — Shea Langeliers homered three times and finished with five hits in his first game batting in the leadoff spot, and the Athletics pounded the slumping Washington Nationals 16-7 on Tuesday night.
Langeliers opened the game with a drive to center off MacKenzie Gore for his 20th homer. The 27-year-old catcher hit another leadoff shot in the fifth and the seventh.
Langeliers scored four times and finished with 15 bases. He became the fourth catcher with multiple three-homer games in a career — joining Hall of Famers Johnny Bench and Gary Carter, and Travis d’Arnaud. Langeliers and d’Arnaud are the only two to hit three from the leadoff spot.
Langeliers also connected for three homers in a 4-3 victory at Texas on April 9, 2024.
JJ Bleday had four hits for the A’s for the second straight game. He homered and finished with six RBIs.
Darell Hernaiz also went deep, and Nick Kurtz scored four times. Brent Rooker finished with four hits and three RBIs.
A’s right-hander Luis Severino (6-11) permitted three runs in six innings in his fourth consecutive win.
The last-place Nationals dropped their sixth consecutive game. They have surrendered 103 hits during the slide.
Gore (4-12) was charged with eight runs and 12 hits in three-plus innings. PJ Poulin pitched a scoreless inning in his debut after seven minor league seasons.
Key moment
Bleday greeted Clayton Beeter with a two-run drive in the fourth, giving the A’s a 9-0 lead.
Key stat
The A’s finished with 24 hits for their best total since they had 25 on Sept. 10, 2019, in a 21-7 road win over the Astros.
Up next
Left-hander Jeffrey Springs (10-7, 4.00 ERA) starts for the A’s on Wednesday. The Nationals hadn’t announced their starting pitcher.
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