CINCINNATI, Oh. (WMDJ) — The Reds jumped out to an early five-run lead but could not hold on Wednesday night, falling to the Washington Nationals 8-7 in 10 innings at Great American Ball Park.
Cincinnati wasted little time getting on the board in the first inning. JJ Bleday drove in the game’s first run with an RBI double, and Tyler Stephenson followed with a grand slam to left-center field to put the Reds ahead 5-0.
Washington answered quickly in the second. A sacrifice fly from Daylen Lile, an RBI double by Joey Wiemer, and a two-run homer from Keibert Ruiz cut the Reds’ lead to just one run.
The Nationals tied the game in the third on a bases-loaded walk, but Cincinnati regained the lead in the bottom half of the inning when Spencer Steer scored on a throwing error.
Washington evened the game again in the fifth on an RBI groundout by Luis García Jr., and the score remained tied through nine innings.
In the 10th, Lile delivered the deciding blow with a two-run homer to right-center, giving Washington an 8-6 advantage.
The Reds tried to rally in the bottom of the inning. Steer drove a long fly ball to left that was reviewed for a possible home run, but the call on the field stood as a double, allowing only one run to score.
Cincinnati has now dropped 10 of its last 12 games.
The Reds and Nationals will wrap up the series Thursday afternoon in Cincinnati. First pitch is set for 12:40 p.m., with the Inside Pitch pregame show beginning at 12:10 p.m. on WMDJ FM 100.1.
