Field Level Media
Jul 5, 2023
Elly De La Cruz had a home run and two doubles, Graham Ashcraft pitched six strong innings and the visiting Cincinnati Reds beat the Washington Nationals 9-2 on Wednesday night for their fourth straight win.
Joey Votto had a homer and two singles for the Reds, who have won seven of eight and 19 of 23. Cincinnati, 13-2 over its last 15 road games, goes for the four-game sweep on Thursday.
The Reds have homered in 19 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in franchise history behind the 1956 club, which homered in 21 straight.
Ashcraft (4-6) allowed a run on seven hits. He struck out two and walked three.
Lane Thomas and Corey Dickerson had two hits each for the Nationals, who have one win in their past 14 home games.
Washington starter Josiah Gray (6-7) allowed five runs -- three earned -- on eight hits and four walks over five innings. He struck out six.
The Nationals took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Thomas led off with a walk and later scored on a wild pitch by Ashcraft.
Votto homered with two outs in the second inning to tie it. Spencer Steer reached on an error and scored when Tyler Stephenson doubled to left. Will Benson followed with a double to right and the Reds led 3-1.
The Nationals loaded the bases on three singles with no outs in the bottom of the second, but Thomas popped out and Luis Garcia grounded into a double play.
Stephenson was hit by a pitch with one out in the fourth, went to third on Benson's single and scored on a single by TJ Friedl.
De La Cruz homered to right leading off the fifth to increase the lead to 5-1.
In the Cincinnati seventh, Jake Fraley led off with a single and went to third on a single by Votto. Both runners advanced on a balk and Votto later scored on a bases-loaded single by Matt McLain to make it 7-1.
Washington got a run back in the seventh, but the Reds tacked on two in the eighth.
--Field Level Media