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Joey
Votto delivered big in the 11th Sunday in Reds 8-5 win Sunday
over Washington. Photo courtesy reds.com
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Votto delivers
in 11th to beat Nationals
mlb.com
WASHINGTON -- It wasn’t clean. It wasn’t pretty. And it certainly
wasn’t easy.
But the Reds got the win on Sunday, and no one worried about style
points for the moment.
For the third time in the four-game series, there were extra innings
between the Reds and Nationals. This time the Reds emerged with an 8-5
victory in 11 innings and snapped Washington’s five-game win streak. A
three-run top of the 11th was highlighted by Joey Votto delivering a
one-out, two-run double to the left-field wall to put Cincinnati ahead
to stay.
Scott Rolen’s RBI single to center field followed Votto for the
insurance run the Reds probably thought they wouldn’t need in the early
going.
Struggling to ignite offensively of late, the Reds took a 4-0 lead in
the first inning against Ross Detwiler with some hits and a little
luck. Following Zack Cozart’s one-out single, Rolen hit a two-out
ground ball to shortstop. Rolen barely beat a high throw from Ian
Desmond and was called safe, though replays showed he may not have
been. Jay Bruce then drew a walk that loaded the bases.
Snapping a week-long team streak without a home run, Ryan Ludwick
followed with a grand slam to center field. All four runs were unearned
against Detwiler.
Ludwick hit a one-out single in the third inning and later scored from
second base on Ryan Hanigan’s RBI single up the middle for a 5-0 lead.
Washington stayed in the game with a three-run bottom of the third
against Reds starter Mike Leake. The first four batters of the inning
reached safely, culminating in Adam LaRoche’s two-run single to right
field with the bases loaded. Bruce took his eye off the ball after the
bounce, letting it scoot away for an error that put runners on second
and third. And additional run scored on Mark DeRosa’s groundout to
second base to make it a two-run game.
Following a one-out walk by pinch-hitter Roger Bernadina in the
Nationals’ fifth, Ian Desmond hit a drive to center field. Chris Heisey
took an initial step in before the chasing the ball that was over his
head for a double that scored another run and tightened matters a
little more.
The Reds had runners on second and third with one out in the seventh,
and another bases-loaded chance with two outs when Rolen went down on a
check-swing strike-three call. Overall, Cincinnati was 4-for-11 with
runners in scoring position and stranded 10 on base.
Leake started the bottom of the seventh, and Rick Ankiel hit a leadoff
double to right field. A two-out single to center field by Desmond off
Logan Ondrusek made it a 5-5 game. Leake’s line was five runs and five
hits over 6 1/3 innings, with three walks and one strikeout.
The Washington rally guaranteed another winless game for the Reds’
rotation, which has not earned a victory since Johnny Cueto opened the
season on April 5 with a win vs. Miami.
Reds reliever Jose Arredondo pitched a perfect 10th inning to get the
victory. Sean Marshall earned the save in the bottom of the 11th.
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