Eaton turns emotional after 5-for-5 day in front of family

CINCINNATI - Adam Eaton thought he had already experienced the emotional high point of his return from reconstructive knee surgery two weeks ago when he played in his first Grapefruit League game in West Palm Beach, homered and then motioned to his pregnant wife and young son in the stands.

Little could the Nationals outfielder have known what still awaited him this afternoon at Great American Ball Park.

It's not just that Eaton went 5-for-5 with 10 total bases during a 13-7 thumping of the Reds. It's not just that he came within a triple of hitting for the cycle. It's not just that he's now batting .750 with a .778 on-base percentage in his first two games of the season.

It's that as he rounded the bases in the top of the seventh after homering into the right field bleachers, Eaton - an Ohio native who played at nearby Miami University - again looked to the stands and found a bunch of familiar faces. That's when it hit him.

"I could see my brother and my mom and dad and my wife and in-laws, former teammates, coming around third base," he said. "And the moment got to me. Because it's for them. When we go out there, all nine positions, the guys in the bullpen, we don't stand by ourselves. We stand with a whole heck of a lot of people that helped put us in the situation we're in to be successful on and off the field."

It took an army to get Eaton back into the top spot in the Nationals lineup, a spot he occupied with aplomb for 23 games last April before he tore his ACL trying to beat out a close play at first base. From those early days on crutches, to days later that summer when he zoomed around the clubhouse on a scooter, to his first attempts on the field at swinging and running, to the completion of his rehab this spring, Eaton has gone out of his way to applaud the trainers, doctors and others who helped make his return possible.

Teammates haven't glossed over the task Eaton overcame to make it back and now perform as though the injury never happened.

"It's just a testament to the work he's put in," said Stephen Strasburg, no stranger to long-term injury rehab. "Speaking from experience, it is kind of tough. I'm sure it was really tough on him last year, kind of being there every single day and not being able to participate. But I saw it all last year. He worked really hard. That's just good to see everything pay off."

Eaton already had put together a solid debut Friday in the season opener, going 1-for-3 with a single, a walk, a run and some deft baserunning in the Nationals' 2-0 win over the Reds. Today he took everything to grand new heights.

Eaton again led off the game with a single, then scored on Matt Adams' 460-foot moonshot to right-center. He led off the top of the third with a double to deep center, then scored on Bryce Harper's sacrifice fly. He led off the top of the fifth with a double into the right field corner, then scored on Harper's second sac fly of the afternoon. He led off the seventh with his home run off reliever Austin Brice. And if that wasn't enough, he added a two-run single to left in the top of the eighth to complete a perfect 5-for-5 performance.

"What a difference he might've made if they'd had him all last year," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He's a terrific player. He gives you good at-bats against lefties and righties. They paid a lot to get him. They felt he was a difference-maker. Having him at the top of their order gives them a different look. It lengthens their lineup."

Had Eaton been a bit more adventurous and tried to stretch his second double into a triple, he would've wound up hitting for the cycle.

"Incredible performance," manager Davey Martinez said. "He's a sparkplug. He gets us going right away. He gives us good at-bats. We were making fun of him, like: 'Why'd you slow down? You should have went to third on that one!' I'm glad he did."

Indeed, as excited as he is to watch Eaton racing around the bases, Martinez also is going to live in some fear of his knee giving out, especially early this season as the outfielder gets used to playing every day again at this level. Martinez wants to stay in constant communication with Eaton, making sure he gets his necessary days off along the way.

"I'm going to have a conversation with him every day," the manager said. "The biggest thing is to keep him going for the whole season. Right now, he feels really, really good. We're going to see where he's at again here in a little bit and see what we've got."

Asked how he felt this morning after his first big league game in 11 months, Eaton didn't cover for himself.

"Brutal," he answered. "Honestly. It takes a lot to get ready. But once we're ready ... once you get hot, I can stay hot. But it takes a good hour-and-a-half to get going and get loose."

There will be a day off in Eaton's near future. Just not today. Not with five hits on the board, a 2.153 OPS on his season stat line and certainly not with 30-plus friends and family members cheering from the stands to help him appreciate exactly what this all means.

"I didn't hit the home run," Eaton said. "My mom and dad did, because they put me in the situation to be successful. And my brother. Beat me up when I was little. I wouldn't be as bullheaded as I am today without him. And college coaches and college teammates. We're not in this situation without them. So, like I said, it was for them."