Eugenio Suarez’s third home run of the season, a high fly ball down the left-field line in the eighth inning that just kept carrying, was all that separated the Reds and Nationals on Monday in Cincinnati’s 3-2 series-opening win at Nationals Park.
“He got it enough,” Nationals manager Matt Williams said. “When it’s humid and warm like this, the ball carries pretty well, and he hit it in the perfect spot. Just got it over, inside the pole.”
Four Reds relievers — Ryan Mattheus, Manny Parra, J.J. Hoover and Aroldis Chapman, who was selected to his fourth consecutive All-Star Game earlier — combined to pitch 3 1/3 innings, allowing only one walk, in relief of Anthony DeSclafani, who allowed two earned runs over 5 2/3 innings. DeSclafani drove in the Reds’ first run in the second with his first career double. Nationals starter Doug Fister allowed one earned run on eight hits over six innings in a no-decision.
“[Suarez has] been a run producer, not just getting hits but timely hits, driving in runs,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “He’s shown a little bit of power. That was a big one there off of [Casey] Janssen to give us a lead. There’s nothing like being able to take a lead in the late innings knowing that Mattheus, Parra, Hoover and Chapman in that mix ends up finishing a lot of our wins.”
The win improved Cincinnati to 4-0 on the season against Washington. The Reds swept all three games between the two clubs in late May.
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