Jacob Young went 2-for-3 with the go-ahead RBI as the Washington Nationals rallied for a 5-4 win against the visiting Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.
Young hit a two-out single in the eighth inning off reliever Justin Wilson (1-2), driving in Ildemaro Vargas to put Washington in front for the first time.
Young scored the tying run an inning earlier on Lane Thomas’ double down the right field line off reliever Fernando Cruz, who was tagged with the blown save.
Reliever Derek Law (6-2) allowed one hit in two innings and Kyle Finnegan tossed a perfect ninth for the save for the Nationals, who have won four of their past five.
After a lengthy first in which Washington starter Mackenzie Gore threw 48 pitches while facing seven batters, leading to action in the bullpen, he returned for the second.
He got two out to start the second but walked Jonathan India, who scored to put Cincinnati ahead 3-2 on Elly De La Cruz’s double to left field.
The Nationals replaced Gore with Jordan Weems to start the third. Weems struck out Spencer Steer to kick it off, but Cincinnati added to its lead in the next at-bat when Tyler Stephenson mashed a fastball 426 feet into the left-center field seats to make it 4-2.
Washington pulled within one in the fourth. Riley Adams walked to lead it off, advanced to second on a Vargas single then took third on a James Wood fielder’s choice grounder. Three batters later, CJ Abrams scored Adams with a ground-ball single.
Gore struggled in the first and Cincinnati capitalized. India and De La Cruz each walked to start, and Steer drove in India for a 1-0 lead with a one-out single to right field. De La Cruz crossed the plate to make it 2-0 on Austin Slater’s sacrifice fly.
The hosts quickly responded. After Abrams singled to lead off the bottom half, designated hitter Harold Ramirez belted a two-run shot to center field to tie the game 2-2.
Reds starter Nick Lodolo, who earned a no-decision, allowed four runs on six hits with a walk and eight strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. Gore gave up three runs on two hits with four walks and two strikeouts in his two innings.
–Field Level Media
