Lane Thomas Hit Two Home Runs To Push The Nationals To An Extra Inning Win Over The Reds

 

Lane Thomas hit two home runs to lead the Washington Nationals to a 6-3 win over the Reds in 10 innings. 

Jake Alu doubled in the 10th inning off Alexis Diaz to score Ildemaro Vargas, the automatic runner. Alex Call bunted Alu to third. Diaz struck out CJ Abrams. Thomas hit his second home run to put the Nationals in command. It was his 18th of the season.

"It is what we asked him (Alexis Diaz) to do," David Bell said. "It was very difficult. He pitched the ninth. He goes back out for the 10th with a runner on. The top of their order comes around, who is swinging the bat really well. We felt good about Alexis going back but that's a lot to ask."

The Reds had a chance to win in the ninth.

Joey Votto opened the ninth with a walk off Jose Ferrer. TJ Friedl ran for the designated hitter. Will Benson flied out to right on a 3-1 pitch. Tyler Stephenson took a pitch and Friedl stole second to put the go-ahead run in scoring position. Dave Martinez walked Stephenson intentionally. Andres Machado relieved Ferrer with Stuart Fairchild due up. Friedl stole third with Stephenson, holding. Fairchild struck out swinging bringing De la Cruz to the plate. He was walked intentionally. Nick Senzel came to the plate with the bases loaded. Senzel popped up to the second baseman.

There were a couple chances in which Jake Fraley, normally would have been sent to pinch hit and wasn't, including for Fairchild and Senzel in the ninth inning when the Nationals went to a right handed reliever.

"Jake (Fraley) was unavailable," Bell said. "We will have more information on Jake tomorrow."

The Reds didn't get many hits but Senzel, McLain and De la Cruz hit solo home runs to back Graham Ashcraft. 

Senzel hit his ninth off Nationals' starter Patrick Corbin in the first inning. McLain hit his 12th as the next man up. De la Cruz lined his ninth into the leftfield stands. It was his first home run as a right handed hitter.

Ashcraft  allowed just two singles in five innings until Lane Thomas hit his 17th home run, one out into the sixth.

"A lot of things happened today," Bell said. "Graham obviously put us in a really good position to win a ballgame. That's a positive the way he's been pitching is really important to our team."

Corbin pitched 6 1/3 innings and allowed four hits and a walk but Amos Willingham relieved him after Joey Votto grounded out, the lone left handed hitter in the Reds' lineup.

Ashcraft was rolling into the eighth inning. He got the first two batters out. Thomas hit a slow roller up the first base line. Ashcraft fielded it but threw wide. Thomas got credit for an infield hit. Joey Meneses, who had the Nationals first hit in the fourth, hit his ninth home run of the season to tie the game.

Ashcraft pitched eight innings, allowing three runs on five hits, two walks and a hit batter.

"Those guys capitalized on mistakes," Ashcraft said. "Both of the home runs were sliders. The one to Thomas was a spinner. It didn't move. The one to Meneses was a decent pitch. It was down and away. He got extended on it."