Josh Bell hits 3-run homer, Nationals knock off Diamondbacks 9-7 in series opener

PHOENIX (AP) — Josh Bell hit a three-run homer, Robert Hassell III had three RBIs and the Washington Nationals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-7 on Friday night.

Hassell hit a two-run single in the first inning and a run-scoring single in the seventh that put Washington up 9-6. James Wood hit a solo homer and Kyle Finnegan gave up a run on Geraldo Perdomo's groundout before closing out the ninth for his 16th save in 19 chances.

Nathaniel Lowe hit a go-ahead two-run single after Juan Morillo (0-1) walked the bases loaded in the sixth. Washington starter Jake Irvin (5-1) allowed six runs on 10 hits in five innings.

Perdomo and Pavin Smith had two RBIs for Arizona, which has lost eight of nine.

The Diamondbacks have been plagued by pitching blowups and fielding miscues during their recent slide.

A mistake cost them early against Washington.

Merrill Kelly appeared to be out of the first inning by inducing a two-out ground ball, but second baseman Ketel Marte dropped the toss from Perdomo at shortstop. Hassell followed with a two-run double and Kelly ended up throwing 17 extra pitches in the inning.

Arizona answered with four runs in the bottom half against Irvin on three singles and a groundout.

Homers hurt Kelly in the third.

Wood led off with his 16th and Bell followed with a towering three-run shot to put the Nationals up 6-4.

Kelly allowed six hits — four earned — on six hits and struck out six in five innings.

Lowe's two-run single in the sixth broke a 6-all tie.

Wood has an RBI in six straight games.

Washington RHP Michael Soroka (1-3, 5.61 ERA) faces Arizona RHP Brandon Pfaadt (7-3, 3.90) Saturday in the second game of the series.

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Washington Nationals' Josh Bell, right, smiles as he celebrates his three-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks with Nationals' Nathaniel Lowe (33) during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, May 30, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Eugenio Suárez, second from left, is tagged out at home plate by Washington Nationals catcher Riley Adams, right, as home plate umpire Lance Barksdale and Diamondbacks' Pavin Smith (26) look on during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, May 30, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly tosses the rosin bag after giving up a triple to Washington Nationals' José Tena during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, May 30, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Jake Irvin gets a news baseball during the third inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday, May 30, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Washington Nationals' José Tena (8) slides safely into third base with a triple as Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez waits for a possible throw during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, May 30, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is meeting with oil executives at the White House on Friday in hopes of securing $100 billion in investments to revive Venezuela’s ability to fully tap into its expansive reserves of petroleum — a plan that rides on their comfort in making commitments in a country plagued by instability, inflation and uncertainty.

Since the U.S. military raid to capture former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, Trump has quickly pivoted to portraying the move as a newfound economic opportunity for the U.S., seizing tankers carrying Venezuelan oil, saying the U.S. is taking over the sales of 30 million to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned Venezuelan oil and will be controlling sales worldwide indefinitely.

On Friday, U.S. forces seized their fifth tanker over the past month that has been linked to Venezuelan oil. The action reflected the determination of the U.S. to fully control the exporting, refining and production of Venezuelan petroleum, a sign of the Trump administration's plans for ongoing involvement in the sector as it seeks commitments from private companies.

It's all part of a broader push by Trump to keep gasoline prices low. At a time when many Americans are concerned about affordability, the incursion in Venezuela melds Trump’s assertive use of presidential powers with an optical spectacle meant to convince Americans that he can bring down energy prices.

The meeting, set for 2:30 p.m. EST, will be open to the news media, according to an update to the president's daily schedule. “At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House,” Trump said Friday in a pre-dawn social media post.

Trump is set to meet with executives from 17 oil companies, according to the White House. Among the companies attending are Chevron, which still operates in Venezuela, and ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, which both had oil projects in the country that were lost as part of a 2007 nationalization of private businesses under Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez.

The president is meeting with a wide swath of domestic and international companies with interests ranging from construction to the commodity markets. Other companies slated to be at the meeting include Halliburton, Valero, Marathon, Shell, Singapore-based Trafigura, Italy-based Eni and Spain-based Repsol.

Large U.S. oil companies have so far largely refrained from affirming investments in Venezuela as contracts and guarantees need to be in place. Trump has suggested on social media that America would help to backstop any investments.

Venezuela’s oil production has slumped below one million barrels a day. Part of Trump's challenge to turn that around will be to convince oil companies that his administration has a stable relationship with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez, as well as protections for companies entering the market.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are slated to attend the oil executives meeting, according to the White House.

Meanwhile, the United States and Venezuelan governments said Friday they were exploring the possibility of r estoring diplomatic relations between the two countries, and that a delegation from the Trump administration arrived to the South American nation on Friday.

The small team of U.S. diplomats and diplomatic security officials traveled to Venezuela to make a preliminary assessment about the potential re-opening of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, the State Department said in a statement.

Trump also announced on Friday he’d meet with President Gustavo Petro in early February, but called on the Colombian leader to make quick progress on stemming flow of cocaine into the U.S.

Trump, following the ouster of Maduro, had made vague threats to take similar action against Petro. Trump abruptly changed his tone Wednesday about his Colombian counterpart after a friendly phone call in which he invited Petro to visit the White House.

President Donald Trump waves as he walks off stage after speaking to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)