NEW YORK -- For as young as shortstop CJ Abrams' Major League career is, the 22-year-old had to think back on the last time he had hit a grand slam.

“It’s been a minute,” he said with a smile. “A long time.”

The feat was no longer a distant memory on Thursday night after Abrams belted his first career grand slam in the eighth inning against the Mets at Citi Field. The go-ahead blast put the Nationals up, 8-7, before they dropped the series finale, 9-8.

Abrams became the youngest player in Nationals team history (2005-present) to hit a grand slam since Ryan Zimmerman on April 22, 2007, in Miami. Both Abrams and Zimmerman were 22 years and 206 days old.

“Looking at the teammates’ faces, everybody was jumping,” said Abrams. “It was just an exciting moment.”

Washington entered the eighth inning trailing the Mets, 7-3. The Nationals quickly put runners on first and second when right-handed reliever Tommy Hunter opened the frame by hitting catcher Keibert Ruiz and right fielder Lane Thomas with a pair of pitches. Designated hitter Stone Garrett reached on an error by shortstop Francisco Lindor, followed by a Mets pitching change to lefty Brooks Raley.

Second baseman Luis García drove in Ruiz with a sacrifice fly. Raley then hit the third batter of the inning, center fielder Victor Robles, to load the bases for Abrams.

Abrams fouled off a sinker on the first pitch, and when he saw a cutter from Raley in nearly the same location on the next pitch, he jumped on it. Abrams’ shot was the Nationals’ first go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning or later since Gerardo Parra's against the Dodgers on May 11, 2019.

“He stayed flat and straight to the baseball; it was beautiful,” said manager Dave Martinez. “It’s stuff that we’ve been working on with him and talking to him about just staying in the middle of the field. Against a lefty, he stayed through that ball and hit it really well.”

Abrams, who was acquired by the Nationals from the Padres last August in the blockbuster Juan Soto trade, entered the night with three home runs as a big leaguer: two last season with San Diego and one with Washington last Saturday in Minnesota. Batting .222 on the year, Abrams had been working in the gym before and after games, hoping to improve his stride direction while waiting for his pitch to hit.

“I think any grand slam is awesome, no matter who it is,” said Martinez. “But for it to be him, that was a pick-me-up -- not only for him, but for our club.”

The Nationals celebrated in the dugout and off the field, where starting right-hander Trevor Williams was after pitching five innings in his first return to Citi Field against his former team.

“We were screaming from the training room,” said Williams. “With the tape delays, you never know which TV is right. So you hear the radio go and then you hear the crowd noise. It was an incredible moment for him, it was an incredible moment for our team and to shift the momentum like that like we did was special. He’s trending upwards, and I’m looking forward to seeing how he continues to play with that energy the rest of the year.”

Abrams has been batting in the bottom of the order at the No. 8 and 9 spots for the majority of his games this season as he continues to get into a rhythm in his second big league season. He became only the third No. 9 hitter in Nationals team history to connect for a grand slam, joining Mark Reynolds (Aug. 28, 2016, ninth inning at Mets) and Justin Maxwell (Sept. 11, 2007, fourth inning at Marlins).

“He’s battling up there, and that’s a good sign,” Martinez said. “He’s putting some good swings, he’s hitting some balls hard and he comes through in a big moment for us. Every day, it seems like he’s getting a little bit better.”

Abrams returns to Nationals Park riding the momentum of a career-high four-RBI night. Is this a chance for Abrams to get hot at the plate while the Nats are three games into a stretch of playing on 16 consecutive days?

“Maybe,” he said. “We’ll see.”