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James Wood greets Jacob Young after Young hit a two-run homer during the Nationals\u2019 six-run fourth inning. (Griffin Quinn\/Getty Images)<\/p>\nCHICAGO \u2014 These Washington Nationals are unlikely to be conventional. They plan to challenge traditional baseball thought. They plan to experiment. They plan to take chances that surprise people.<\/p>\n
On Thursday afternoon, they did all three. They came into Wrigley Field on a windy, chilly afternoon against the Chicago Cubs, trotted out an unorthodox lineup and left with a 10-4 victory. <\/p>\n
Washington (1-0) produced a six-run fourth inning, capped by outfielder Jacob Young\u2019s two-run homer; he entered Thursday\u2019s contest with five home runs in nearly 900 at-bats. <\/p>\n
Young rounded first and pointed to the Nationals\u2019 bullpen in celebration. He used home plate as a springboard to jump and high-five his teammates.<\/p>\n
And, just like that, a new era of Nationals baseball under first-year manager Blake Butera and president of baseball operations Paul Toboni commenced.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re starting new with a lot of things,\u201d Young said. \u201cIt\u2019s awesome for Blake to get that first one. It\u2019s awesome for a lot of guys in here to start feeling good. … We\u2019re hoping just to keep it up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Butera envisioned winning the first game in his head. He thought about what it might feel like. Nothing compared to the reactions from his players and staff, or what was waiting for him in the Cubs\u2019 visiting clubhouse. <\/p>\n
\u201cBlake\u2019s a little wet right now,\u201d a Nationals staffer said as he walked out of the clubhouse. <\/p>\n
After the game, the first-year manager attempted to sneak into his office without being seen. He\u2019s been in a clubhouse as a player before. He knew what was possible. His players grabbed him before he could reach the room, brought him to the shower and doused him in beer and shaving cream. \u201cI got crushed,\u201d Butera said.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust excited and happy for the group,\u201d Butera said. \u201cObviously, there\u2019s still 161 more, but happy to get off on the right footing.\u201d<\/p>\n
For nearly two decades, the Nationals were operated by former general manager Mike Rizzo. Washington had nearly a decade of success in the 2010s, culminating in a World Series title in 2019 with manager Dave Martinez. <\/p>\n
James Wood greets Jacob Young after Young hit a two-run homer during the Nationals\u2019 six-run fourth inning. (Griffin Quinn\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Baseball teams modernized in the years that followed, but the Nationals, in many ways, fell behind. Rizzo and Martinez were fired in July 2025. Toboni was hired, then picked Butera.<\/p>\n