Reds Lose Homer Battle, 5-3

By Hal McCoy

If fans dig the long ball, they were witness to two of the most prolific home run producing teams in MLB Friday night in Nationals Park.

The Washington Nationals lead MLB with 170 home runs and the Cincinnati Reds are fifth with 153.

And the Reds hit three to Washington’s two Friday, but they were not enough and the Nationals scored a 5-3 win.

How did that happen?

All three Cincinnati homers were solo shots while Washington had a three-run rip and a two-run blast.

That is pretty much an occupational hazard for the Reds.

Their last 12 home runs have been solos and 17 of their last 18 have come with the bases empty.

Country singer Toby Keith recorded a song, “Red Solo Cup,” which should be the Reds’ anthem.

When Reds manager Tito Francona was asked if it frustrates him that the last 12 home runs have been solos, he said, “No, you said it was 12? I wish it was 15. I wish they were all three-run homers, but they’re not.”

The Nationals, losers of nine of their previous 10 games, scored three in the first inning off Reds opener Chase Petty, three runs they shouldn’t have scored.

With one out and a runner on first, Washington’s Brady House hit a sharp double play ground ball to shortstop.

But the ball kicked off Elly De La Cruz’s glove for an error and the inning continued.

The next batter, Reds’ assassin Daylen Lile, crushed a three-run home run for a 3-0 Nationals lead. When the Nationals played a three-game series early this season in Cincinnati, Lile hit three homers.

“If things go the way they are supposed to, Petty doesn’t face that guy,” said Francona, referring to the De La Cruz error on a potential inning-ending double play. “Then it’s a whole different game, but it’s not.”

The Reds hammered their way back, a second-inning home run by Eugenio Suarez, playing his 1,000th major league game, then back-to-back homers in the third by Matt McLain and De La Cruz to tie it, 3-3.

The Nationals, though, got the two runs they needed in the fourth on a two-run home run by Harry Ford off Julian Garcia and the score stayed 5-3 the rest of the way.

It was a Bullpen Day for the Reds and Petty started a game for the first time since May 23, but it wasn’t a true start because he was the opener.

He gave up a leadoff single to CJ Abrams, then came De La Cruz’s error and Lile’s home run.

Petty pitched 1 2/3 innings and gave up the three runs (one unearned), walked one and struck out one.

After the home run off Garcia, just recalled Lulis Mey pitched a career-most 2 2/3 innings and held the Nationals scoreless on two hits with four strikeouts.

Zach McCambrey pitched a scoreless eighth as Francona used four pitchers with limited MLB experience.

“I thought they did a really good job,” he said. “Garcia has been so good and I think he threw 38 pitches and gave up the (game-deciding) home run late.

“When they can go shorter, they don’t do that (give up home runs),” Francona added. “We didn’t have a choice and I felt bad for him because he’s been really good.

“Luis Mey was as good as we’ve seen. . .they did a really good job,” he added.

Washington starter Cade Cavalli, despite the three homers, provided the Nationals with his sixth straight quality start — six-plus innings, three runs, seven hits, two walks, eight strikeouts.

“We did a good job early of getting on Cavalli’s fastball,” said Francona. “To his credit, he started spinning it and spinning it successfully. And that’s when we started running into trouble.”

The Reds had opporunities knocking on their clubhouse door, but they failed to answer.

It was a rare non-productive night for Sal Stewart. He hit into a pair of inning-ending double plays.

The Reds had two on with one out in the fifth but Stewart hit into a 5-4-3 double play.

The Reds had the bases loaded with one out in the seventh but Stewart hit into a 6-3 double play and Stewart slammed his bat and his helmet forcefully to the grass.

Henry Rodriguez has played right field since his recent call-up from Triple-A Louisville, but started in center field on this night.

And in the fourth he grabbed his first major-league hit, a two-out double to right-center. But Matt McLain struck out.

Francona felt better about the way Rodriguez handled center field than he did about his first hit. He made an exciting running catch against the wall in the eighth inning.

“He handled center field,” said Francona. “He did OK and that’s a big ask. I told him, ‘If you mess up, I’ll take the blame, not you.’”

It was a game that the Reds have found ways to win since the All-Star break and Francona said, “I felt that way the whole game. And that’s a good feeling. I know we didn’t do it, but it felt good.”