Major League Baseball
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Washington 2, Cincinnati 1
When: 7:10 PM ET, Saturday, May 12, 2012
Where: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, Ohio
Temperature: 72°
Umpires: Home - Eric Cooper, 1B - Marty Foster, 2B - Tim Timmons, 3B - Jeff Kellogg
Attendance: 42294

Nationals 2, Reds 1: Danny Espinosa led off the sixth inning with a home run to snap a tie and lead Washington to its third straight victory.

Wilson Ramos also homered and Jordan Zimmermann tossed seven strong innings for the Nationals, who have won seven of 10.

Washington phenom Bryce Harper was in the lineup after leaving Friday's series opener with a cut near his left eye. Harper, who went 0-for-4, was injured when he swung his bat against a wall in frustration and had it bounce back and hit him in the face.

Cincinnati scored a run early and maintained the slim lead until Ramos began the fifth by depositing a 2-2 offering from Reds starter Mat Latos over the center field wall.

Jose Arredondo (2-1) started the sixth for the Reds and saw his first pitch to Espinosa sail over the fence in right, giving the Nationals a 2-1 advantage. It was the third blast of the year for Espinosa and second in as many games.

Zimmermann (2-3) limited Cincinnati to one run and five hits while striking out a season-high nine. The right-hander, who halted a personal two-game skid, has allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his seven starts.

Henry Rodriguez struck out the side on 10 pitches in the ninth for his eighth save in 10 opportunities.

Brandon Phillips drove in the lone run for the Reds, who have lost three of four.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Cincinnati's Scott Rolen was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a strained left shoulder. Fellow third baseman Mike Constanzo filled the open roster spot after his contract was purchased from Triple-A Louisville. ... Ramos left the game in the seventh inning with a right knee injury. ... Washington has yet to sweep a series this season.
Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
Washington   Cincinnati
Jordan Zimmermann Player Mat Latos
Win W/L No Decision
7.0 IP 5.0
9 Strikeouts 4
5 Hits 3
1.29 ERA 1.80
Hitting
Washington   Cincinnati
Danny Espinosa Player Joey Votto
2 Hits 1
1 RBI 0
1 HR 0
5 TB 1
.667 Avg .500
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Hits HR TB Avg LOB K RBI BB SB Errors
Washington 6 2 13 .194 15 11 2 5 2 0
Cincinnati 5 0 5 .156 16 13 1 2 0 0