Strasburg, Espinoza lead Nationals to rout of Reds
WASHINGTON -- Stephen Strasburg did not allow a hit or run in 6 2/3 innings and Danny Espinosa had four hits, including two homers, and six RBIs as the first-place Washington Nationals slugged a season-high six homers to crush the last-place Cincinnati Reds 12-1 on Sunday.
Strasburg, who came off the disabled list before the game, had not allowed a hit when manager Dusty Baker pulled him after throwing 109 pitches with two outs into the seventh and a runner on third. Blake Treinen came on to pitch with the score 9-0 and retired Billy Hamilton on a grounder to end the inning.
Matt Belisle entered in the eighth for the Nationals and gave up a clean single to left to begin the inning by Ramon Cabrera to break up the team no-hitter. Zack Cozart also singled, and Jose Peraza drove in a run with an RBI single later in the frame to make it 11-1.
Strasburg (11-0, 2.71 ERA), who struck out five and walked four, is the last qualifying starter in the majors who does not have a loss. He has won 14 games in a row dating back to last year and is the first National League starter to begin the year 11-0 since Andy Hawkins of the San Diego Padres in 1985.
Third baseman Anthony Rendon of the Nationals made a leaping catch on a liner off the bat of Hamilton to begin the top of the fifth. Rendon also caught a liner to start the sixth hit 103 miles-per-hour by Zack Cozart to keep the no-hitter intact for Strasburg.
Bryce Harper added two hits, including a solo homer to lead off the fifth off starter John Lamb that gave the Nationals a lead of 6-0. Wilson Ramos had three hits, including an RBI double in the fifth that made it 7-0. Espinosa had an RBI single off reliever Keyvius Sampson later in the inning for an 8-0 bulge.
Daniel Murphy (two hits) had an RBI single in the sixth to build the margin to 9-0. Rendon, who also had two hits, and Espinosa hit back-to-back homers in the seventh off Sampson to make it 11-0. Stephen Drew homered in the eighth off Jumbo Diaz to make it 12-1.
Lamb loaded the bases on three walks in a row to start the fourth. Espinosa, the No. 8 hitter in the lineup, then lined a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left for a grand slam and a 5-0 lead. It was the second grand slam in the series for Espinosa, who also hit two homers Thursday.
Ramos hit a solo homer in the second to put Washington on the board. It was his 13th homer of the year and came on a 74 mph changeup from Lamb that landed in the Reds bullpen over the left-field fence as a harbinger of an afternoon of longballs.
Lamb (1-5) was the loser as his ERA rose to 5.43 after he gave up eight runs and eight hits (including three homers) in 4 1/3 innings. The Nationals (50-32) have won seven of their last eight games while the Reds (30-53) have lost six of their last seven. Washington had 15 hits while the Reds had just three.
NOTES: Washington RHP Stephen Strasburg (10-0, 2.90 ERA) came off the 15-day disabled list to make the start Sunday against the Reds. His previous outing came June 15 in a no-decision against the Chicago Cubs when he went seven innings and allowed six hits and one earned run. To make room for Strasburg on the roster, the Nationals placed RHP Joe Ross (7-4, 3.49) on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation after he started Saturday. ... Reds LHP Cody Reed (0-2, 9.00 ERA) will start Monday at Chicago against Cubs RHP Kyle Hendricks (6-6, 2.76). ... Reds bench coach Jim Riggleman grew up in nearby Rockville, Md., and was the manager of the Nationals from 2009-11. ... Reds 1B Joey Votto, who was scratched from the starting lineup Saturday with a sore right shoulder, was back in the lineup Sunday and hit third. ... Cincinnati RF Jay Bruce entered the game with 60 RBIs, the most before the All-Star break for the Reds since 2013. ... Washington RHP Max Scherzer (9-5, 3.30 ERA) will face Milwaukee RHP Junior Guerra (5-1, 3.25 ERA) on Monday at Nationals Park.