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"That ball was hit a long way." - Matt Williams on Nationals' Steven Souza's first MLB home run

Washington Nationals' outfielder Steven Souza took Atlanta Braves' lefty Alex Wood deep to center field in Turner Field on Wednesday night for the first home run of his major league career. "That ball was hit a long way," Matt Williams said.

By Patrick Reddington
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Williams was 21 when he hit his first major league home run off 27-year-old Atlanta Braves' right-hander Jeff Dedmon on April 19, 1987.

Williams, the third overall pick of the '86 Draft, was 2 for 21 for the San Francisco Giants over his first six-plus games in the majors and 0 for 1 with a walk when he stepped in against Dedmon with two out in the seventh inning, behind 3-2, and tied it with a solo shot to left field in Candlestick Park.

"Those are memories you don't forget. You play your whole life in [anticipation] of doing something like that, in hope of doing something like that." -Matt Williams on Steven Souza's first MLB HR

The Giants went on to win that game 4-3 when Giants' third baseman Chris Brown scored from third base on an error on a grounder to second off Williams' bat.

After the first-year manager watched 25-year-old Washington Natinonals' outfielder Steven Souza hit his first MLB home run on Wednesday night in Atlanta, Williams was asked if he remembered the circumstances of his own.

"I actually hit it against the Braves," he recalled after the Nationals lost, 3-1, in the series finale in Turner Field.

"It was at home," Williams said of his own home run in Candlestick. "But yeah, it's proudly displayed. Those are memories you don't forget. You play your whole life in [anticipation] of doing something like that, in hope of doing something like that. It's nice to see."

Souza crushed a 1-1 change from Braves' lefty Alex Wood, giving the Nats a 1-0 lead with one out in the fifth inning.

A three-run bottom of the fifth put Atlanta ahead for good, however, as the struggling Braves salvaged the third game of three with the 2014 NL East Champs and snapped their own five-game losing streak.

Souza's blast came in his 17th game and his 17th major league at bat.

He was 1 for 16 before his second trip to the plate on Wednesday and 2 for 17 after he hit the 400ft+ blast out toward the batter's eye in the Braves' home.

In his eighth season in the Nationals' system after he was drafted in the third round in 2007, and his first season at Triple-A in the organization, Souza put up a .350/.432/.590 line with 25 doubles, two triples and 18 HRs in 96 games and 407 plate appearances for the Syracuse Chiefs this summer and he made three short trips to the majors, debuting in April and coming back in May and August before he was called back up again in September.

Souza hits 1st MLB HR, but Nats lose 3-1 to Braves

 Photo © Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

"That ball was hit a long way," Williams said, going back to Souza's first big league blast.

"He's got power to all fields. He had an incredible year in the minor leagues this year. The times that he was up he really didn't get a whole lot of opportunity. Got some at bats, but not a lot.

"But again, he's like Michael [Taylor]. It's the same situation. It's good experience for them being young players and young promising players to be here and be part of it. So, there may be other opportunities as we go along for the rest of the season too."

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