Sportsnaut
Jonathan India homered twice, Brett Kennedy was a winner in his return to the majors and the visiting Cincinnati Reds defeated the Washington Nationals 8-4 in the annual July 4th game at Nationals Park.
Nick Senzel added a three-run homer for the Reds, who have won six of seven and 18 of 22. Elly De La Cruz and Spencer Steer had four hits each and the Reds stole five bases.
Kennedy, who hadn’t pitched in the majors since 2018 with the Padres, was called up from Triple-A Louisville and went five-plus innings, allowing four runs on five hits.
Kennedy was lifted after the first two Nationals reached in the sixth. Fernando Cruz came on and, after both runners advanced on a wild pitch, Joey Meneses and Corey Dickerson singled to make it 7-4. Riley Adams was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Cruz rebounded to strike out C.J. Abrams and Derek Hill before getting Lane Thomas to fly out.
Daniel Duarte walked the first two Nationals in the ninth, but Lucas Sims came on to retire three straight batters for his first save.
Abrams had two doubles and scored twice for Washington.
Nationals starter Patrick Corbin (5-10) allowed six runs on 10 hits over five innings.
The Reds took an early 2-0 lead shortly after the 11:05 a.m. start. Matt McLain doubled with one out and scored on a single by India. India went to third on a single by De La Cruz and scored when Steer’s pop up fell between three Nationals in short left center.
De La Cruz singled leading off the third and stole second. Steer walked, and after Tyler Stephenson flied out, Senzel homered to left to make it 5-0.
Abrams doubled leading off the Washington third, went to third on a ground out and scored on a Thomas sacrifice fly.
India answered with a solo to center in the fourth and the Reds led 6-1.
Washington got one back in the fifth. Abrams doubled with two outs and scored on a single by Hill. Thomas doubled and Abrams went to third, but Kennedy retired Luis Garcia.
India hit his 13th homer of the season in the sixth to make it 7-2.
–Field Level Media
