WASHINGTON (AP) — Trea Turner and Matt Adams homered, Erick Fedde pitched well after allowing a solo shot on the game's first pitch and the depleted Washington Nationals held on to edge the Cincinnati Reds 7-6 Monday night.
Washington led 7-2 but blew most of that advantage before Sean Doolittle got his 27th save in 32 chances. He entered in the ninth with a 7-4 lead, but the struggling lefty closer's first pitch of the evening became Phillip Ervin's pinch-hit homer. The next batter singled, and came around on Joey Votto's two-out double off the wall in left. Doolittle finally ended things on Josh VanMeter's foul pop to third baseman Anthony Rendon.
Coming off a 5-4 trip that left them tied for the lead in the NL wild-card race, the Nationals opened a six-game homestand without three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, left fielder Juan Soto or first baseman Ryan Zimmerman — all injured — while second baseman Brian Dozier was ill and limited to pinch-hitting duty.
And Washington quickly trailed, because Jesse Winker drove a sinker from Fedde to left for his 16th homer — and third leading off a game this season.
Votto then walked and took second on a groundout. But when VanMeter singled up the middle, Votto headed home and easily was thrown out by center fielder Victor Robles, who picked up his eighth assist of 2019.
Fedde (3-2) settled down and ended up going six innings, giving up two runs and six hits. He finished by wriggling out of a two-on, one-out jam, striking out rookie sensation Aristides Aquino and getting Nick Senzel to ground out.
Aquino, who received NL Player of the Week honors Monday, hit his eighth homer — a record for a player's initial 12 major league games — off former Reds reliever Tanner Rainey in the eighth to make it 7-4.
Adams, starting in place of Zimmerman, hit a two-run shot, his 18th homer, to straightaway center off a slider in the first. Turner connected off a slider for a three-run homer in the fourth, his 11th. Both came off Anthony DeSclafani (7-7).
Turner's shot followed two-out singles by No. 8 hitter Robles and Fedde.
DeSclafani's 100th career start ended after four innings, during which he allowed six runs for the third time this year.
Turner tacked on an RBI single in the seventh off Jared Hughes.
GARRETT'S SUSPENSION
Reds LHP Amir Garrett started serving his eight-game suspension for charging from the mound toward the Pittsburgh Pirates' dugout during a game July 30. "It's a long time. ... I have confidence in my teammates that they will get the job done," Garrett said. The Reds only have 24 players available during the ban.
GALVIS ADDED
Cincinnati claimed INF Freddy Galvis off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays. Galvis is expected to report to the Reds on Tuesday.
MOMENT OF SILENCE
A pregame moment of silence was observed in memory of former Associated Press sports writer Joseph White and Washington Times sports intern Katelyn Davis, both of whom died over the weekend.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Reds: C Curt Casali (right knee) had his rehab assignment put on hold after he left a minor league game because of a sore left hamstring. ... 2B Derek Dietrich (left shoulder) should be off the IL soon, manager David Bell said.
Nationals: LF Soto said his right ankle felt better, a day after he sprained it. Soto planned to test the ankle by hitting and running Monday. ... Scherzer (back) is expected to throw a simulated game Tuesday. ... Dozier was out of the lineup for the second game in a row because of flulike symptoms; he walked as a pinch hitter in the eighth. ... INF-OF Howie Kendrick (right hamstring) came off the IL and doubled as a pinch hitter. OF Andrew Stevenson was optioned to Double-A Harrisburg. ... LHP Roenis Elías (strained right hamstring) is still unable to throw off a mound.
UP NEXT
Reds LHP Alex Wood (1-0, 5.65 ERA) makes his fourth start of 2019, hoping to rebound from a rough outing against the Cubs his last time out: five earned runs in three innings. RHP Joe Ross (2-3, 6.75) pitches for the Nationals.
