Luis Garcia Jr. drove in two runs, including a go-ahead home run in the seventh, and the Washington Nationals defeated the host Cincinnati Reds 4-1 on Sunday.
The Nationals took two-of-three in the weekend series.
Tyler Stephenson homered for the Reds.
Washington scored three in the seventh inning to break a 1-all tie.
Jorge Lopez (4-0) pitched two perfect innings and Kyle Finnegan worked the ninth for his 11th save.
Garcia Jr. gave the Nationals a 2-1 lead with his third homer of the season with one out in the seventh. With a 3-2 count and on the ninth pitch of the at bat, Garcia Jr. drilled a slider into the right field stands. Then with two out, CJ Abrams poked an opposite-field double into left-center field to drive in two more. Reliever Graham Ashcraft (2-3), who started the inning for the Reds, gave up all three runs in 2/3 of an inning.
Washington starter MacKenzie Gore allowed a run on four hits in five innings, in which he threw 100 pitches (61 for strikes), walking four and striking out nine to add to his major league-leading K total, now with 68.
Cincinnati starter Nick Martinez gave up a run and four hits in six innings with no walks and six strikeouts. He threw 86 pitches, 56 for strikes.
In the fifth inning with two outs, the Reds’ Elly De La Cruz’s drive down the left field line was originally called fair and a home run, but the call was reversed to a foul ball.
Stephenson tied it at 1 with his first home run of the season to lead off the bottom of the second.
Garcia Jr.’s sacrifice fly in the second gave Washington a 1-0 lead.
Infield singles by Matt McClain and Santiago Espinal gave Cincinnati an opportunity with runners on first and second and no outs in the first. But Gore got out of it by getting two fielder’s choice grounders and then striking out Spencer Steer swinging to end the inning.
The game’s start was delayed about 20 minutes due to weather.
–Field Level Media
Atlanta third baseman Austin Riley brings a red-hot bat into the opener of a four-game homestand against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday. Riley was 5-for-12 with a double, two homers…
A pair of teams riding high after series victories will meet in Chicago on Monday night, when the Cubs host the San Francisco Giants. The Cubs enter winners in three…
Simply stated, the Los Angeles Dodgers are a problem for opposing pitching staffs. The Dodgers, who will open a three-game road series against the Miami Marlins on Monday, are second…
Two of NL’s best square off as Cubs host Giants
Dodgers-Marlins series brings out world of contrasts
Nationals get stern test with series vs. Guardians
Padres pitching will be challenge on road vs. slugging Yankees