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Reds 5 Nationals 4
Unreal. Un. Real.
Nick Senzel made a game saving catch in the bottom of the 9th and then delivered the game winning homer in the top of the 10th to send the Reds to a 5-4 win, completing a four game sweep of the Nationals and extending their winning streak to five games. With the potential winning run on 2nd with one out in the 9th, Senzel made a leaping into the right field wall. Then he blasted the first pitch from Nationals reliever Hunter Harvey for a two run shot.
Leading 5-3 in the bottom of the 10th, Alexis Diaz allowed an RBI single and hit a batter. But with two on and 0 outs, he got a strikeout, ground out and fly out to slam the door.
The Reds have won 20 of their last 24 overall and 14 of 16 and 19 of their last 22 on the road.
They stand a season best 10 games over .500 at 49-39.
Next up: A three game showdown series in Milwaukee starting Friday night. The Brewers beat the Cubs Thursday afternoon.
Tied it up: Trailing 3-2 in the 8th, Joey Votto's pinch-hit RBI single scored Benson to tie the game. Benson had doubled to lead off the inning.
Positional shuffle: 20 Reds appeared in the game. The Reds wound up with a different defensive player at every position by the end of the game. Spence Steer played three positions, moving four times, Senzel three, three others played two positions. Votto pinch-hit for the Curt Casali and that meant the Reds gave up the DH as Stephenson moved behind plate) and basically double-switched out India.
It rained, it poured: A delay of 1 hour and 43 minutes hit in the 2nd inning with one out and Elly De La Cruz on 3rd base in a scoreless game. When play resumed, Nationals LHP Mackenzie Gore did not return the mound, replaced by RHP Mason Thompson.
Brandon Williamson: He returned following the rain delay and gave them a big two additional innings. 3 IN, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 59 pitches/40 strikes. He did some nifty two on damage control in the 3rd inning. Foul balls ran up his pitch count....17 in first three innings.
Early lead: Kevin Newman's RBI single scored Will Benson for the 1st run of the game in the 3rd inning.
Ouch: It appeared Buck Farmer picked CJ Abrams off 2nd base to end a two on/two out 5th inning threat. But the Nationals won a review challenge, forcing the Reds back out onto the field. Lane Thomas then lined a two-out, two-run single to put the Nationals on top 2-1.
Tied it up: Trailing 2-1 in the 6th, the Reds tied the game on a 2-out RBI single by De La Cruz. Matt McLain was thrown out trying to follow him with the go-ahead run to end the inning.
Fall behind: Alex Call's solo homer off Daniel Duarte in the 7th gave the Nationals the lead at 3-2.
Elly: 2 H....both vs LHP....he's 6 for his last 6 vs lefties. He also threw out a runner on a grounder to 3rd on a throw at 95.6 mph.
Bullpen: Buck Farmer 1.2 IN, 2 R........Ian Gibaut 1.1 IN....Daniel Duarte 1 IN, 1 R......Lucas Sims 1 IN....Tony Santillan made his first appearance since last June...1 IN, 0 R.....Alexis Diaz 1 IN, 1 R, 0 ER....save No. 25.
Power supply: The Reds extended their home run streak to 20 consecutive games.....longest since 21 in 1956.
Aggressive: The Reds had two runners thrown out at the plate.
Perspective: The Reds are 42-24 over their last 66 games, since starting 7-15.
How the Reds scored:
3rd: Newman RBI single scored Benson, 1-0 Reds
6th: De La Cruz RBI single scored Friedl 2-2
8th: Votto PH RBI single scored Benson 3-3
10th: Senzel HR, 5-3 Reds