Nats end Cincy’s run to gain Final 4

GAME 1 - Nats Park
Straily vs Roark
Nats 6, Reds 1

Wash dropped a 4 spot on the Cinderella Reds in the bottom of the 2nd and never looked back.  Tanner Roark (2 hits / 6 IP) fanned 7 and gave way to the pen.  Rendon and Ramos each had 2 hits.

 

GAME 2
Finnegan vs Scherzer
Nats 3, Reds 2

Down 2-0 after 3 the Reds rallied back to tie the game in the top of the 7th with a Suarez 2 out solo blast.  Wash answered right back thanks to back to back singles by Rendon and Werth and a Wood WP that allowed both runners to move up 90 feet.  Bryce Harper didn't need to do anything more than lift a fly ball to right center for a sac fly to make it 3-2.  Starter Max Scherzer was done after 8 innings (2 ER).  Rzepcynski and Melancon combined to pitch a perfect 9th to put Washington 1 win away from the final 4.

GAME 3 - Great American BP
Strasburg vs DeSclafani
Nats 10, Reds 3

Harper led off the game with a homer.  Wash scratched out another run to go up 2-0.  A 2 run single by Suarez in the home half of the 4th tied it and gave Cincy some new life.  Then it all came crashing down on the Cinderella team from the Queen City.  Washing scored 8 unanswered run over the final 5 innings to make this a laugher.  Danny Espinosa (3-5) hit a homer, along with Werth, in the 5th and scored a run.  Dan Murphy also had a 3 hit day.  Strasburg, who wasn't on his A game, was good enough over five and a third.  Solis and Petit finished out the game and secured the sweep for the NL's #2 see.