Reds Score Big Down Only Undefeated MLB Team

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Zack Cozart couldn't help but think that he was 0-for-11 on the season. If he could keep his mind off of it three T.V. cameramen reminded him before the game.

Cozart smashed his way out of the mini-slump that would have gone unnoticed had it not been the first three games of the season. He homered in his first two at-bats and drove in five runs to pull the Reds to a 15-0 win over the team that had the best record in baseball last season and was 3-0 coming into the game, the only undefeated team in baseball.

Cozart followed Todd Frazier's home run off Dan Haren with a blast of his own.

"I'm just glad I got a hit," Cozart said. "I'd have taken a double. It's tough not to think about 0-for-11. You want to do good in the moment."

Cozart has been around long enough to know it wouldn't last.  He knew that in spite of the Reds being limited to one run in 13 innings on opening day the team could hit. Cozart knew they could hit good pitching.

"We showed that we can hit," Cozart said. "Washington has a good pitching staff.  We showed that we could hit good pitching."

Four of the last eight games between these two teams went into extra innings.  Neither team had more than a four run lead last season in seven games.

By the time Cozart came around on his second home run of the night, a three-run blast, it was 5-0 Reds.

Shin-Soo Choo hit his second home run in as many nights in the fourth to make it 6-0.  Cozart added a sacrifice fly to make it 7-0.

Homer Bailey who has not allowed a run in his last 19 innings dating back to last season, added a double.

"You can tell it's a good hitting night when I get a hit," Bailey said.  "I like big leads."

Some pitchers find it hard to pitch with a big lead.

"I'll take six shutout innings," said Bailey, who allowed just two hits. "I was in a lot of fastball counts.  My fastball was good tonight."

Bailey walked three but struck out six.

The Reds poured it on in the seventh inning as it emptied the bench.

Brandon Phillips hit his second single of the night.  Jay Bruce hit a long double to leftcenter, a good sign that he is staying on the ball when he hits it that way.  Phillips scored easily.  Frazier hit his second home run off Zach Duke.  Frazier finished with four hits and four RBI.

Devin Mesoraco got to the plate for the first time and singled.  Reliever Manny Parra, who pitched two scoreless innings, singled.  Choo walked.  Xavier Paul hit a long majestic home run for his first career grand slam and his third career pinch hit home run.

"It felt good," Paul said.  "With a 2-1 count I was looking for a pitch I could drive. I want to be in that position.  There wasn't a lot of pressure on me but there was something in the air tonight."

J.J. Hoover pitched a scoreless ninth as the Reds used every position player. Jack Hannahan singled for his first hit of the year.  Derrick Robinson made his Major League debut and reached on an error.