Strasburg - Arroyo Matchup Nationals win 8-5

Stephan Strasburg's first game in Cincinnati was played before a sellout crowd.  Two thousand wise straight A students waited to cash in their prizes for the hyped matchup.  There were more runs scored than expected.

"I was just ok," Strasburg said.  "I made some mistakes."

The Reds home park plays small but it didn't bother the rookie from San Diego State.

"You should have seen some of the fields that I played on in college," Strasburg said.

He left the game after 5 2/3 innings with a 7-3 lead.  Miguel Cairo singled with runners on second and third to end his night.

He should have been pitching out of the windup but pitched out of the stretch instead.

"We talked to him about it," Washington manager Jim Riggleman said.  "Against the leagues best hitting ballclub in this park he did pretty good."

Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker new it was uphill but his team battled back.

"He is going to be a good pitcher for a long time," Baker said.  "He throws 98 easy.  Most guys that throw that hard put a lot of effort in it.  We swung the bats pretty well against a good pitcher.

Arroyo had won five of his last six decisions and allowed just three earned runs in his last three starts.  Strasburg started the game with a 2.03 ERA and a 4-2 record in eight starts since his promotion to the big leagues on June 8.

The Reds scratched him for a run in the third inning to start the scoring.  With two out, Brandon Phillips tripled and Orlando Cabrera singled.

But Arroyo walked Adam Dunn, who is hitless in the series.  Dunn eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Roger Bernadina.

Christian Guzman hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning.

"It was right where I wanted the pitch, middle of  chest inside but he pulled his hands back," Arroyo said.  "We figured it would be a low scoring game and I wanted the ball back but sometimes they do their jobs and you don't."

Washington added four more the next at bat.

Ryan Zimmerman's second double of the game opened the frame.  Josh Willingham walked on a 3-2 pitch and Bernadina singled to load the bases with no out.  Arroyo got Ivan Rodriguez on a fly to shallow center. Ian Desmond hit a smash that hit off Cairo's glove.

"Miggy missed that by inches," Baker said.  "He catches that ball and the pitcher is up with two outs and we can get out of it."

Strasburg sacrificed the runners to second and third.  Bill Bray replaced Arroyo.

Nyjer Morgan singled both runners home.

The Reds came alive in the seventh, loading the bases with no outs but scored just one on a groundout by Joey Votto.  They closed to within two on Chris Heisey's two-out pinch hit single in the eighth, after Ryan Hanigan missed a two-run home run by inches.  It was so close the Reds fireworks went off prematurely.  Hanagan walked but didn't score.

Willie Harris hit a home run in the ninth off Arthur Rhodes to end the scoring.

"We need to have better pitch location number one," Baker said.  "We had opportunities but we have to get more runs in number two."