Gerardo Parra connects for grand slam; first hit with Nationals in 5-2 win over Dodgers...

Gerardo Parra went hitless in his debut with the Washington Nationals, after signing a one-year deal in advance of the four-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, with an 0 for 3 night at the plate leaving him with a .191/.277/.258 line overall on the year in 2019.

He was 0 for 3 with a K in Saturday’s game as well before he stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the top of the eighth inning in Dodger Stadium (where he had 14 doubles and six home runs in 262 career plate appearances before tonight) and hit a meaty 2-2 fastball from Dylan Floro out to center field for a grand slam that put the Nationals up 5-2.

Not a bad way to collect your first hit with a new team.

“I tried to hit the ball hard to the middle, and I got a good swing, I got a homer and so I’m happy for that,” Parra told MASN’s Alex Chappell after the win over the Dodgers.

“You know what, he had a great at bat. They all did that inning. But to hit a home run right there was awesome,” Nats’ skipper Davey Martinez said after the come-from-behind win.

What was the manager thinking as he watched Parra’s at bat play out?

“Just hit the ball,” he said. “Just get a base hit. But slow-motion, in your mind, what a really beautiful swing and it was a great at bat.”

Martinez put Parra at first base (his first start there since 2017) for the third of four with the Dodgers, and the decision to keep his bat in the lineup paid off.

“That was awesome,” the manager said. “Like I said, he’s a veteran guy that we love to have, and what he can do, he plays all four outfield positions and obviously today he played first base and played it really well. He made two nice plays, one to end the game, a diving catch, but coming through in a big moment was huge.”