Reds pitching falters late in an 11-6 loss to the Nationals

The contest between the Reds and Nationals was all tied up heading into the 6th inning, but that’s where things began to fall apart for the home team as Washington put together a 4-run inning and never looked back in their 11-6 win over Cincinnati that evened up the series at one game apiece.

Final
R
H
E

Washington Nationals (15-19)
11
15
1

Cincinnati Reds (18-16)
6
12
2

W: Williams (2-3) L: Lodolo (3-3)

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For the second day in a row there was rain that delayed the start of the game. On Saturday it was just a 22-minute rain delay. Washington didn’t take much time to get things going. They loaded the bases with one out and then got an RBI single from Alex Call and a sacrifice fly by Luis Garcia Jr. as they built a 2-0 lead. Cincinnati matched them in the bottom of the inning when Spencer Steer doubled in TJ Friedl and Elly De La Cruz.

In the next inning Jake Fraley walked to lead off the inning then moved up to third on a single by Santiago Espinal. That brought Tyler Callihan to the plate and he came through with his first big league hit – a line drive single into center to bring in a run and give the Reds the lead.

Washington was able to tie the game up in the top of the 4th inning, and the game stayed 3-3 until the 6th inning. But then the Nationals got some help from the Reds. A 1-out error was followed up by a hit batter, which put two men on base. Amed Rosario then came through with a 3-run home run that broke up the tie. They would tack on another run later in the inning on a single by Nathaniel Lowe that extended the lead to 7-3. That spelled the end of the day for Nick Lodolo. Yosver Zulueta entered the game and recorded the final two outs of the inning. Jake Fraley got one of those runs back with a solo home run in the bottom of the inning.

Zulueta returned for the 7th inning and led things off with a walk to Dylan Crews. He would steal second base and then take third on a fly out to the warning track in center. Jacob Young then laid down a bunt as Crews broke for the plate and Zulueta fielded it and didn’t seem to think of throwing home and instead turned and fired to first base to concede the run and get the out as Washington added another run.

The two teams would each score a run in the 8th inning. Cincinnati then sent Luis Mey to the mound in the 9th inning , trailing 10-5. He would walk CJ Abrams in a 9-pitch battle to start the inning before giving up two singles in the inning that brought in the 11th run of the day for the Nationals. Mey recorded all three outs of the inning via the strikeout.

In the bottom of the 9th the Reds faced former Cincinnati reliever Eduardo Salazar. He had to face the top of the lineup and find a way to avoid giving up at least six runs. After getting TJ Friedl to fly out to start the inning he would walk Matt McLain. Elly De La Cruz then came through and laced a bullet to the wall in left-center for an RBI double. That was as close as the Reds would get on the night as De La Cruz was stranded at second to end the game in a Washington 11-6 win.