CINCINNATI (AP) — Washington’s CJ Abrams and Lane Thomas hit Lyon Richardson’s first two major league pitches for home runs and the last-place Nationals finished a three-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds with a 6-3 win on Sunday.

Over the last 50 seasons, Richardson, 23, is the only pitcher to allow a home run on each of the first two pitches of his major league career, according to Optastats.

Abrams and Thomas teamed up to hit two fastballs a combined 808 feet. Abrams reached the first section of seats down the right field line with a 402-foot shot for his first career leadoff homer. Thomas followed with a 408-foot drive to center field for his third homer of the series.

Richardson (0-1) went 3-0 on Joey Meneses, the next batter, before throwing a strike that sparked a sarcastic cheer from the crowd.

Jake Au added a two-run single to Washington’s four-run first.

Abrams finished with four hits and Thomas went 7-for-13 with eight RBIs in the series.

Washington (49-63) has won four straight for the first time this season.

Joey Votto and TJ Friedl hit solo homers for the sliding Reds (59-55), who have lost six straight for the second time in a month and the third time this season.

The right-handed Richardson rebounded from his rocky start to add two hitless innings, finishing with four hits and four runs with three walks and two strikeouts.

Washington starter Jake Irvin lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing five hits, three runs and two walks with six strikeouts. Andrés Machado (3-0) got the win. Kyle Finnegan gave up two singles in the ninth but hung on for his 17th save in 24 tries.

Votto went opposite field to left for a 357-foot solo homer in the second. Friedl lofted a 386-foot drive down the right field line that reached the netting over the visitors’ bullpen for his second homer in two days.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Nationals: C Israel Pineda (right finger fracture) was returned from a rehab assignment, reinstated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to Double-A Harrisburg. RHP Paolo Espino was released.

Reds: LHP Alex Young left the game with an undisclosed injury while pitching to his second batter of the eighth inning.

UP NEXT

Nationals: RHP Trevor Williams (5-6) was reinstated from the three-day bereavement list on Sunday in time to start Monday at Philadelphia.

Reds: LHP Brandon Williamson (3-2) is Cincinnati’s scheduled starter in Monday’s opener of a three-game series against Miami.

Nationals 6, Reds 3

Washington						Cincinnati
	ab	r	h	bi			ab	r	h	bi
Abrams ss	5	2	4	1		De La Cruz ss	4	0	1	0
Thomas rf	4	1	2	3		Friedl cf	4	1	2	1
Meneses dh	3	1	0	0		McLain 2b	4	0	0	0
Ruiz c	4	1	1	0		Encrncn-Strnd dh	4	0	0	0
Smith 1b	5	0	1	0		Votto 1b	3	1	1	1
Alu 2b	4	0	2	2		Stephenson c	3	0	1	0
Vargas 3b	5	0	0	0		Senzel 3b	4	1	1	0
Rutherford lf	3	0	0	0		Benson rf	1	0	0	0
Garrett ph-lf	0	1	0	0		Steer ph-lf	2	0	0	0
Call cf	2	0	0	0		Fairchild lf-rf	4	0	1	1
Totals	35	6	10	6		Totals	33	3	7	3

Washington	400	100	010	—	6
Cincinnati	021	000	000	—	3

E–Stephenson (3). DP–Washington 1, Cincinnati 0. LOB–Washington 10, Cincinnati 6. 2B–Thomas (28), Abrams (20). HR–Abrams (11), Thomas (19), Votto (12), Friedl (10). SB–Abrams (27), Friedl (20), Alu (3). SF–Thomas (5).

	IP		H	R	ER	BB	SO

Washington
Irvin	4	1-3	5	3	3	2	6
Machado W,3-0		2-3	0	0	0	0	2
Garcia H,1	2		0	0	0	1	2
Weems H,4	1		0	0	0	0	1
Finnegan S,17-24	1		2	0	0	0	2

Cincinnati
Richardson L,0-1	3		4	4	4	3	2
Farmer		2-3	2	1	1	3	0
Moll	1	1-3	0	0	0	0	2
Cruz	1	2-3	1	0	0	0	5
Young		1-3	1	1	1	1	0
Sims	1		1	0	0	0	1
Gibaut	1		1	0	0	0	1

Umpires–Home, Clint Vondrak; First, D.J. Reyburn; Second, Brian Knight; Third, John Libka.

T–3:07. A–26,195 (43,891).