WASHINGTON (AP) — Eugenio Suarez could only watch and hope as the baseball headed toward the left-field foul pole.

“My first reaction was that I popped it up,” he said. “I hit it in front. I didn’t hit it well.”

The Reds’ shortstop got enough of it, though, to send it over the wall for a tiebreaking eighth-inning homer that provided Cincinnati with a 3-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Monday night.

Suarez went 3 for 4 with two RBIs to help the Reds snap a three-game skid and improve to 4-0 against Washington this year, clinching the season series.

With the score knotted at 2, Suarez hit a liner off Casey Janssen (0-2) that barely stayed fair inside the pole that stands 336 feet from home.

Recalled from the minors on June 11 after an injury sidelined starting shortstop Zack Cozart, Suarez is batting .329 with three homers and 13 RBIs in 21 games.

“He’s been a run-producer, not just getting hits but timely hits, driving in runs. He’s shown a little bit of power,” manager Bryan Price said. “That was a big one there.”

Manny Parra (1-1) worked the seventh and Aroldis Chapman got three outs for his 17th save. One of Chapman’s fastballs was clocked at 103 mph.

Danny Espinosa homered for the Nationals, who had won 12 of 15 overall and were unbeaten at home over nine games since June 18.

Washington starter Doug Fister gave up at least one hit in every one of his six innings but allowed only one earned run.

“For me, there’s some inconsistency there on the mound,” the right-hander said. “I’m not making quality pitches at times that are needed. Just fighting with myself a lot, trying to get the ball down, really trying to get in a rhythm, and it’s a battle for me.”

Nationals manager Matt Williams replaced the top two players in his starting lineup, center fielder Denard Span in the third inning and third baseman Yunel Escobar in the fifth.

“Denard left the game with a back spasm and Yunel left the game with left hamstring tightness,” said Williams, who was unwilling to speculate on the severity of the injuries.

Cincinnati went up 2-1 in the sixth. Marlon Byrd led off a with a drive off the top of the right-field wall that was initially called a double, then switched to a home run, then ruled a double again after a replay review. It didn’t matter much, because Suarez followed with an RBI single.

Espinosa tied it in the bottom half with his ninth home run, a shot to right on a 2-1 count.

After a 29-minute rain delay interrupted the first inning, the Reds scored an unearned run in the second on a two-out RBI double by starting pitcher Anthony DeSclafani, the No. 8 hitter.

Washington pulled even in the third when Matt den Dekker came home on a two-out wild pitch. He entered in the top half for Span.

ROSTER MOVES

Reds: Cincinnati called up OF Yorman Rodriguez from Triple-A Louisville and optioned RHP Josh Smith to Double-A Pensacola. Because the Reds currently employ a four-man rotation, “it could be a short stay,” Price said.

Nationals: Washington recalled LHP Sammy Solis from Double-A Harrisburg and placed RHP David Carpenter on the paternity list. Carpenter’s wife gave birth to a son, Darrell, on Monday.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: RHP Raisel Iglesias (left oblique strain) will likely make one more rehab start after he threw 68 pitches Sunday for Triple-A Louisville, Price said. … LHP Sean Marshall (shoulder surgery) was expected throw from 75 feet as he recovers from a May procedure. “I’m hoping he comes back and is able to help this organization before the year is out,” Price said.

Nationals: RHP Aaron Barrett (biceps strain) was scheduled to pitch for Class A Potomac following a day off. The next step is to pitch on successive days, Williams said.

UP NEXT

Reds: Johnny Cueto (5-5, 2.84 ERA) brings a 6-3 lifetime record against the Nationals to the mound on Tuesday night.

Nationals: Max Scherzer (9-6, 1.82) faces the Reds for the first time since 2008 with Arizona.

 

Reds 3, Nationals 2

Cincinnati AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Phillips 2b 5 0 1 0 0 1 .277

Votto 1b 5 0 2 0 0 2 .276

Frazier 3b 5 0 1 0 0 1 .284

Bruce rf 3 0 1 0 1 0 .239

Byrd lf 4 1 1 0 0 2 .245

B.Pena c 4 1 0 0 0 0 .292

Suarez ss 4 1 3 2 0 0 .329

DeSclafani p 1 0 1 1 1 0 .233

Mattheus p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

M.Parra p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

c-De Jesus Jr. ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .254

Hoover p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

A.Chapman p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

B.Hamilton cf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .221

Totals 36 3 10 3 2 6

 

Washington AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Span cf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .304

den Dekker lf 4 1 1 0 0 0 .211

Y.Escobar 3b 2 0 1 0 0 0 .315

a-Uggla ph-2b 1 0 0 0 1 0 .216

Harper rf 3 0 0 0 1 1 .344

W.Ramos c 4 0 0 0 0 1 .262

C.Robinson 1b 3 0 0 0 1 0 .261

Espinosa 2b-3b 4 1 2 1 0 0 .262

Desmond ss 4 0 1 0 0 1 .212

M.Taylor lf-cf 2 0 0 0 2 1 .245

Fister p 2 0 0 0 0 2 .238

b-T.Moore ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .223

Treinen p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

Janssen p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

Rivero p 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

d-Lobaton ph 1 0 0 0 0 1 .227

Totals 32 2 5 1 5 7

 

Cincinnati 010 001 010 — 3 10 0

Washington 001 001 000 — 2 5 2

 

a-walked for Y.Escobar in the 5th. b-flied out for Fister in the 6th. c-popped out for M.Parra in the 8th. d-struck out for Rivero in the 9th.

E—Desmond (19), Fister (3). LOB—Cincinnati 9, Washington 8. 2B—Bruce (17), Byrd (7), DeSclafani (1), Espinosa (15). HR—Suarez (3), off Janssen; Espinosa (9), off DeSclafani. RBIs—Suarez 2 (13), DeSclafani (2), Espinosa (25). SB—Desmond (3). CS—Suarez (1). S—DeSclafani.

Runners left in scoring position—Cincinnati 5 (B.Hamilton 4, Byrd); Washington 5 (W.Ramos 2, M.Taylor, T.Moore, den Dekker). RISP—Cincinnati 3 for 11; Washington 0 for 6.

Runners moved up—Desmond. GIDP—Frazier.

DP—Washington 1 (Espinosa, Desmond, C.Robinson).

 

Cincinnati IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

DeSclafani 5 2-3 5 2 2 4 6 102 3.65

Mattheus 1-3 0 0 0 0 0 1 4.22

M.Parra W, 1-1 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 1.65

Hoover H, 7 1 0 0 0 0 0 13 1.45

A.Chapmn S, 17-18 1 0 0 0 1 1 16 1.73

 

Washington IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Fister 6 8 2 1 1 2 86 4.08

Treinen 1 1 0 0 1 3 20 3.69

Janssen L, 0-2 1 1 1 1 0 0 12 3.60

Rivero 1 0 0 0 0 1 14 2.45

Inherited runners-scored—Mattheus 2-0. IBB—off Treinen (Bruce). WP—DeSclafani, Treinen. PB—B.Pena.

Umpires—Home, Vic Carapazza; First, Brian Knight; Second, Larry Vanover; Third, Ron Kulpa.

T—2:43. A—23,673 (41,341).