WASHINGTON -- The angles of the stands surrounding the Nationals’ bullpen blocked Kyle Finnegan’s full view of the soaring ball, but the closer didn’t need to see it to know what had just happened in a tie game. Finnegan could tell when he heard it leave James Wood's bat that it was time to start warming up for the save -- the rookie had put the Nats in position to win.

“A big homer like that, you catch the first length of it and then it kind of disappears,” Finnegan said. “... You kind of use the crowd and watch the reactions of the players on the field. As soon as he hit it, we knew he was gone and I went into scramble mode to get ready.”

With the game tied 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Wood pummeled his first go-ahead Major League home run to lift the Nationals to a 5-2 win over the Reds and sweep the series on Sunday at Nationals Park. It was their first sweep against Cincinnati at home since Aug. 12-14, 2019.

Wood, ranked as MLB’s No. 2 overall prospect, stepped to the plate with two outs and Nasim Nuñez and Ildemaro Vargas on first and second base. The lefty hitter rocketed a first-pitch fastball from southpaw Justin Wilson a Statcast-estimated 404 feet at 105.9 mph to left field in the high-leverage situation.

“He’s got no heartbeat, he just goes out there and competes,” said Nationals manager Dave Martinez.

Wood said he felt comfortable in the at-bat having faced Wilson on Saturday. Being prepared for the matchup, he was able to execute on the first pitch.

“Sometimes it’s the best pitch you’re going to be able to see all day,” Wood, 21, said. “So you’ve just got to be ready for it.”

Wood had taken three at-bats prior to the eighth inning. He beat out the throw on a ground-ball single to the mound in the second, lined out sharply to left field at 109 mph in the fourth and flew out to center field in the sixth.

“I was seeing a lot of spin,” Wood said. “I was missing them, but I was still taking good swings on them. I kind of just kept my head up. I felt like I was making good contact and I kind of just had to trust that the results would come.”

Wood debuted on July 1, and he hit his first big league homer on July 6 against the Cardinals. He had not gone yard since then – until he did so with a major exclamation point. He has hit safely in six of his last seven games, bringing his season batting average to .246 with one double, 12 RBIs, six walks and two stolen bases.

“I keep telling him, ‘You can’t control where the ball goes. Just get a good swing off and try to hit the ball hard,’” Martinez said. “And he’s been doing that. Hopefully, that opens up the floodgates and he starts getting some hits.”

Over in the Nationals’ bullpen, Finnegan’s observation was correct. Shortly after Wood crossed home plate, the All-Star reliever took the mound to earn his third save in as many days. Finnegan’s season total soared to 28 (second in the National League, third overall), and he has earned a save in five of the Nationals’ last six games.

“It was a really cool moment for [Wood],” Finnegan said. “He’s been a spark plug for us here lately, and we’re lucky to have him.”