Jacob Young delivered a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning, Lane Thomas boosted his trade value with an RBI double, and the Washington Nationals staged a comeback to defeat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 on Saturday night.
Derek Law (6-2) pitched two scoreless innings, contributing to a strong performance from the Nationals’ bullpen following MacKenzie Gore’s shortest start of the season.
Washington (46-53) has now won two consecutive games against Cincinnati (47-52), dealing a blow to the Reds’ hopes of staying competitive in the NL playoff race.
“It just shows that we should be in contention,” Law commented on the victory.
Ildemaro Vargas doubled to lead off the eighth inning against Justin Wilson (1-2). With two outs, Young hit a sharp single through the left side on Wilson’s first pitch, scoring Vargas from third base.
“It’s a win that brings the team closer together,” Law said. “Everyone’s celebrating a bit more in the locker room.”
In the seventh inning, Thomas battled through a tough pitch from Fernando Cruz, driving a low-and-away fastball to right field to bring home Young and tie the game at 4-4. Young ended the game with a 2-for-3 performance and two stolen bases.
Nationals GM Mike Rizzo had indicated the previous day that he would consider trade offers for Thomas, a reliable outfielder known for his defensive skills and who had a breakout season in 2023 with 28 home runs.
All-Star closer Kyle Finnegan, also a potential trade target, secured his 27th save in 31 opportunities by pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
Tyler Stephenson homered for the fifth time in eight games, launching a 426-foot shot to the left-center bleachers in the third inning to give the Reds a 4-2 lead. This was after they had chased Gore from the game early on.
Gore struggled from the outset, starting with seven consecutive balls. He labored through 19 pitches to get one out, 40 for two outs, and 48 to retire the side, with the Reds capitalizing on three walks, a single, and a sacrifice fly to score twice.
