Homer Bailey hit hard, Reds wrecked by Nationals 14-4

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Jesse Winker might not be long for the Cincinnati Reds roster. With Sal Romano set to start Tuesday and in need of a roster spot - and with Devin Mesoraco likely to rejoin the team soon, too - odds are the talented OF will get a trip back to Louisville to play everyday again in the near future.

That didn’t stop Winker from showing his best talent on Sunday in a rare start, however. Winker was on base four times on the day, three times via walk and once from a single up the middle, and the RF added a run scored to his ledger for good measure. It looked that much better with him hitting in the #2 spot in the lineup, a spot that’s well suited for a player specializes at getting on base.

Have a trophy, Jesse, and here’s to seeing more chances to play as the season grinds on.

Honorable Mentions are due to: Scooter Gennett, who had a pair of hits and drove in 3 more runs on the day; and Billy Hamilton, who singled twice and scored twice.

Key Plays

• Washington jumped on the Reds early in this one, with Daniel Murphy clubbing a homer off Bailey in the Top of the 1st. That was a bummer, as was the fact that Wilmer Difo was on-base to make it a 2-run blast. Reds trailed, 2-0.
• Back to back doubles from Adam Lind and old friend Chris Heisey netted another run for Washington, this time in the Top of the 2nd. Pitcher Tanner Roark then singled to continue the Nats’ rally, and a Brian Goodwin HBP then loaded the bags with just 1-out. Bailey got an out on Difo’s grounder to Joey Votto at 1B, but that scored Heisey from 3B to leave the Reds behind, 4-0.
• The Reds snuck into a run in the Bottom of the 3rd, as Bailey led off the inning by taking 1B unsuspectingly after striking out, claiming that the ball he missed had actually hit the dirt. The umps agreed - though video didn’t, necessarily - and Billy Hamilton followed with a single to get the action rolling. Jesse Winker then walked to load the bases, and after Votto popped out, Adam Duvall hit a roller to SS that Difo booted to allow Homer to score. Later, a productive groundout to 1B from Gennett scored Billy, and the Reds shaved the deficit to 4-2.
• Walks to both Difo and - after about 28 pitches - Bryce Harper greeted Bailey to begin the Top of the 5th, and both eventually haunted when Murphy launched another homer, this time a 3-run blast down the RF line. Anthony Rendon then singled up the middle to end Homer’s day, and after Ariel Hernandez took over on the mound, Lind greeted him with a 2-run tater into the RF seats, too. Reds trailed, 9-2.
• The Reds did a slightly less emphatic walk-haunt in the Bottom of the 5th against Roark, as Winker led off with a walk, moved all the way to 3B on an infield single by Duvall and throwing error by Rendon, and scored on Gennett’s single into LF. Reds trailed, 9-3.
• Drew Storen used to be teammates with Rendon on the Nationals. Rendon parlayed that into a solo dinger off the now Cincinnati Red to open the Top of the 7th. Jose Lobaton has caught Storen in 36 different games in his career. Jose Lobaton crunched a 2-run dinger off his former mate later that inning, scoring Heisey as well. Reds trailed, 12-3.
• The Reds chipped back off Enny Romero in the Bottom of the 7th, getting an RBI single from Gennett that scored Billy (who had singled and moved up to 2B on Votto’s walk). Reds trailed, 12-4.
• Washington got that one back in the Top of the 8th off Tony Cingrani, as Difo singled, moved to 3B on Harper’s double off the RF wall, and scored on a productive grounder. Harper later scored on Lind’s bloop single into shallow LF, and the Reds trailed, 14-4.
• After that the scoring dried up on both sides, with the Reds again on the wrong side of the scoreboard. Reds lost, 14-4.

Tony Graphanino

Other Notes

• Homer Bailey’s final line: 4+ IP, 8 H, 8 ER, 2 BB, 5 K on 90 pitches. Not good, Bob.
• Right at the start of this one, the Nationals swung a deal with the Oakland A’s that landed them relievers Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson. While that may quash the rumors surrounding their interest in Cincinnati reliever Raisel Iglesias, Doolittle - a lefty - coming off the market might well ramp up trade interest league-wide in Reds lefty Tony Cingrani, as FOX’s Jon Morosi reported today. Cingrani will be arb-eligible for the second time in 2018, meaning he’s set to get a raise into the $3 million neighborhood, and the Reds will may well listen to offers on him given his improved performance this year.
• The Reds will wrap their four game series with Washington on Monday afternoon, with first pitch set for an early 12:35 PM ET. Stephen Strasburg will be on the mound for the Nationals, whereas the Reds will send out Scott Feldman.
• Tunes.