Mike Minors return to active duty was lackluster.
Minor's balking shoulder has healed but the Washington Nationals teed off on his offerings for three home runs in four innings vaulting visitors to a 8-5 win over the home team. Lane Thomas hit three homers for the Nationals against three different pitchers.
"He wasn't sharp. It's his first time out. It is good to get that out of the way," David Bell said. "He left some fastballs over the plate. He feels good and that's the main thing. He's been doing this a long time."
Minor faced young Josiah Gray, who the Reds thought highly enough to pick him in the second round of the 2019 draft. Gray was traded to the Dodgers in the trade that brought Kyle Farmer among others to the Reds.
Tommy Pham got the Reds off to a fast start against Gray. Pham hit his sixth home run of the season with Brandon Drury on base. Drury reached on a throwing error by young Luis Garcia, who has shown problems with his erratic arm..
Minor couldn't make the lead stick. He retired all three Nationals batters on fly balls in the first inning. Nelson Cruz put his fly ball into the left field stands to get a run back.
"I feel good," Minor said. "I threw some bad ptiches and some good pitches. They hit them both. I guess some fastballs leaked over the plate a little bit. I didn't mix pitches well either. I only threw two curve balls. I threw some good sliders but I need to use them all next time."
It got worse for Minor.
Victor Robles doubled to open the third. Cesar Hernandez tied the game with a single. Lane Thomas and Juan Cruz crushed home runs in successive at bats. It was the fourth for Thomas and 10th for Soto.
Minor survived a double by Garcia in a scoreless fourth but turned the game over to Vladimir Gutierrez. Thomas hit his second home run of the game, the first time'he has homered twice in a big league game.
Gray gave up a single to Matt Reynolds and walked three batters but held off the Reds through six innings before turning the game over to Carl Edwards Jr.
Thomas hit another home run off Jeff Hoffman in the seventh. He is the first National batter to hit three home runs in a game since Middletown's Kyle Shwarber did it against the Mets last year on June 20.e
"Thomas is a good player," Bell said. "We've seen him with the Cardinals."
Thomas hit seven in 2021. In 43 games this year, he had hit three.
Joey Votto hit his second three-run homer in as many days in the eighth inning against Victor Arano. Votto hit one in the first inning on Thursday. Votto's fourth home run of the season tied him with Johnny Bench for fourth on the Reds' all-time hit list with 2,048.
Another Reds' former second round draft choice Tanner Rainey came into pitch then ninth for Washington.
Rainey earned his sixth save, allowing a walk in a scoreless inning.
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