Reds Lose to Nationals in 11 Innings

The Reds comeback brought them all the way back from a 5-1 deficit but the lack of yet another big hit, allowed the Washington Nationals to win 7-6 in 11 innings.

It was the fifth time in 10 games the top two teams in baseball last season took extra innings to decide the winner.

Mike Leake and Ross Detwiler dueled for five innings with the Nationals phenom, Bryce Harper, making a 2-0 difference with a two-run home run in the third inning.

The Reds took advantage of an error by Ian Desmond to cut the lead to one.  Brandon Phillips led off second thanks to Desmond's throwing error.  Phillips scored on a single by the red-hot Todd Frazier.

Two-innings later a lapse in judgement put the Nationals up 4-1.  Leake struck out the Chad Tracy and Desmond to start the sixth but lost Danny Espinosa to a walk on a 3-2 pitch.  Leake got ahead of Wilson Ramos, the eighth hitter with two quick strikes and a foul ball.  Ramos wouldn't bite on three pitches out of the strike zone.

"We didn't care if we walked Ramos," Dusty Baker said.  "The didn't have anybody warmed up."

Leake made his "pay off" pitch too good and Ramos drilled it for a two-run home run.

Jason Werth homered off Sam LeCure leading off the seventh to extend Washington's lead to 5-1.

The Reds had been frustrated by Detwiler all day.  The Reds had two on and no out in the third but Chris Heisey hit into a force play.  Joey Votto grounded into an inning ending double play.

The same scenario played out in the fifth in.ning.  Shin-Soo Choo was nicked with a pitch.  It was the fourth time in five games Choo's been hit with a pitch. Heisey singled.  Votto flew out to shallow left and Phillips hit into a double play.

Cincinnati scored a pair of runs off Drew Storen in the eighth aided by another Desmond error.

Phillips doubled with one out. Jay Bruce singled him to third.  Frazier earned his second RBI of the game with a sharp single between first and second base.  Zack Cozart popped to second as Espinosa raced back to field his soft liner. Devin Mesoraco hit a hard grounder to short that stayed down on Desmond and went through to leftfield.  Bruce scored.  The Reds had the tying runners on second and third but pinch hitter Xavier Paul struck out.

Washington brought on its closer Rafael Soriano to hold the two-run ninth inning lead but Choo greeted him with his third home run of the season.  Votto nearly tied it by himself with a fly to left that hit on the top of the wall.  Votto slid into third with a triple.  He scored on a wild pitch with Phillips at the plate.

The Reds' bullpen is without Sean Marshall who hasn't pitched since March 22.  They used Sam LeCure for the third time in five games.  Chapman struck out the side in the tenth.

Frazier led off the 10th with his third hit of the game.  Cozart bunted him to second.  Mesoraco flew to right.  With two outs Jack Hannahan hit for Chapman to try to end the game.  Craig Stammen struck him out.

J.J. Hoover came on for the 11th.  Hoover worked an inning replacing Manny Parra, who went two innings on Friday and was unavailable.

Desmond attoned for his fielding errors by hitting a two strike pitch for a home run.  One batter later Ramos hit his second home run of the game to put the Nationals in control, 7-5.

"The first home run was on a slider up," Hoover said.  "The second was a well executed pitch but Ramos beat me."

The Reds scored to get within a run in the bottom or the 11th.

With two outs Votto walked.  He took second on defensive indifference and scored on a Phillips second double of the game.

Bruce struck out with yet another chance to get a big hit.

"We had chances to win the game long before Hoover came in," Baker said.  "We have to find a way to hit with runners on base.  Marshall wasn't available and wouldn't have pitched to the right-handers anyway."