page_title: History of the Washington Nationals
section_title: 2005
hierarchical_section_title: History of the Washington Nationals / History / Seasons / 2005
context_page_description: The Washington Nationals are a Major League Baseball team formed in 1969 as the Montreal Expos. In 2005, the Expos moved to Washington, D.C. and were renamed the Nationals. The franchise won the National League pennant in 2019, and has won its division five times. They won the World Series in 2019 against the Astros in game 7.
context_section_description: On April 4, 2005, Brad Wilkerson (after being the last player to ever wear a Montreal Expo jersey) had the honor of being the first batter for the Washington Nationals and he promptly responded with the first hit for the new Washington incarnation of the team.  Outfielder Terrmel Sledge hit the Nationals' first home run in the April 4 contest.
  On April 6, 2005, the Nationals recorded their first-ever regular season win by beating the Phillies, 7–3. The win came in their second game of the season and was highlighted by Wilkerson hitting for the cycle.
  On April 14, 2005, the Washington Nationals won their first regular season home game at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C, by a score of 5–3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. President George W. Bush kept up a tradition of sitting U.S. Presidents by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch on opening day in Washington, exactly 95 years after William Howard Taft started the tradition at Griffith Stadium. There were 45,596 fans in attendance, including former Senators players and Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig. Liván Hernández threw eight shutout innings, and Vinny Castilla was denied the chance to hit for the cycle when Diamondback reliever Lance Cormier hit him with a pitch in the bottom of the eighth; Castilla needed only a single to complete the cycle. Chad Cordero recorded the save for Washington.
  Between May 29 and June 15, 2005, the Nationals compiled a 15–2 record including a franchise record 10-game win streak (June 2–12).  Ten of those games were decided by 1 run.
  On August 4, 2005, Brad Wilkerson became the first Washington Nationals player to ever hit a grand slam, against then Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Duaner Sánchez. The Nationals won the game 7–0 on a four-hit complete game shutout by John Patterson.
  During his August–September callup, Ryan Zimmerman recorded 23 hits in 58 at-bats. He thus became the first member of the Washington Nationals to complete the season with a batting average of at least .300 in at least 50 at-bats.
  The Nationals led all National League teams in interleague play in 2005, recording 12 wins.
  At the halfway mark of the season, the Nationals were in first place in the National League East division, with a record of 50–31. However, they went 31–50 in the second half of the season, finishing at 81-81.
caption: Then President George W. Bush throws out a ceremonial first pitch in 2005.
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