Riding a season-high four-game win streak, the Reds seemed destined for a series sweep after going up big on the Nationals early in Sunday’s finale at Great American Ball Park. The Nationals spoiled that with a mid-game offensive resurgence and held on for the 10-9 victory.
“Boy that was an exciting game,” Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. “We had some guys that had good games, it was sort of a tale of three games all in one. They jumped us, we jumped them back and then we held on at the end when we were in trouble.”
The Reds secured an early 5-0 advantage in the second inning on five singles and a double. However, starter Jon Moscot couldn’t hold the lead, giving up five runs in the fourth on home runs from Daniel Murphy and Wilson Ramos and a couple of two-out singles.
“I hung a slider to Ramos, he hit it out. [I] didn’t get the ball in and up to Murphy, and he put a good swing on it,” Moscot said. “I think he’s a pretty good hitter right now, and then things just got a little out of hand after that. That’s on me to kind of limit the damage there, and it’s definitely a learning experience.”
After tying it at 5-5, the Nationals loaded the bases with three-straight singles from Bryce Harper, Murphy and Ramos to lead off the fifth. A ground ball to third base went awry when catcher Tucker Barnhart couldn’t corral the throw from Eugenio Suarez, allowing Harper and Murphy to score and put Washington in front. The Nationals tacked on one more run in the fifth and two in the sixth courtesy of four singles.
Sammy Solis earned the win with three scoreless innings, while recording six strikeouts. The Reds mounted a late comeback, via a Jay Bruce three-run homer in the seventh and then scored another in the ninth on a Brandon Phillips RBI double against closer Jonathan Papelbon. The comeback attempt ended when the Reds came up empty vs. Papelbon after loading the bases with no outs as he held on for his 15th save.
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