Daylen Lile hit a three-run home run and Harry Ford added a two-shot as the host Washington Nationals beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 on Friday.
Nationals starter Cade Cavalli (9-5) allowed seven hits and three runs in six-plus innings. The right-hander walked two and struck out eight on 100 pitches.
Clayton Beeter earned his 12th save with a perfect ninth inning.
With Reds ace Hunter Greene going down for the season this week, the Reds were forced to go with a bullpen game.
Chase Petty started, giving up two hits and three runs (two earned) in 1 2/3 innings. The right-hander walked one and struck out one.
Julian Garcia (2-3) took the loss as he gave up two runs in 2 1/3 innings of work.
The Nationals jumped out to a 3-0 lead after an inning. C.J. Abrams led off with a single and, with one out, Brady House hit a tailor-made double-play ball to Elly De La Cruz at short, but the ball skipped off his glove for an error.
Lile made the Reds pay by blasting a home run to right field.
Cincinnati responded with the long ball, as solo home runs by Eugenio Suarez in the second and Matt McLain and De La Cruz in the third tied the game.
The Reds have hit seven solo home runs in their last two games and eight in the last three.
Washington retook the lead in the fourth. Lile led off with a double and Ford smashed a home run to left-center field to put the Nationals up by two.
Outside of the home runs, Cavalli only allowed four base runners in the first six innings.
The Reds finally threatened in the seventh, but a great play by shortstop Nasim Nunez kept the Nationals in front.
Noelvi Marte and Ke’Bryan Hayes chased Cavalli with back-to-back singles to start the seventh.
Yovanny Cruz came on to strike out McLain, but he walked De La Cruz to load the bases.
Sal Stewart hit a roller up the middle that looked like trouble, but Nunez was able to get to the ball, touch second base and throw a strike to first for a rally-killing double play.
–Field Level Media
