The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Gomes’ 3 homers lead Reds in win

Arroyo notches complete game in 7-0 win; shrugs off report on use of supplements.

Cincinnati Reds' Jonny Gomes watches his third home run of the game he hit off Washington Nationals pitcher Jason Bergmann in the sixth inning during a baseball game, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009 in Cincinnati. The Reds won 7-0.

Associated Press photo by David Kohl Cincinnati Reds' Jonny Gomes watches his third home run of the game he hit off Washington Nationals pitcher Jason Bergmann in the sixth inning during a baseball game, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009 in Cincinnati. The Reds won 7-0.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Cincinnati Reds' Jonny Gomes acknowledges the crowd after hitting his third home run of the game in the sixth inning during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009 in Cincinnati. The Reds won 7-0.

Associated Press photo by David Kohl Cincinnati Reds' Jonny Gomes acknowledges the crowd after hitting his third home run of the game in the sixth inning during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009 in Cincinnati. The Reds won 7-0.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Cincinnati Reds' Jonny Gomes, middle, is congratulated by Adam Rosales, left, and Laynce Nix, right, after Gomes hit a two-run home run off Washington Nationals pitcher Collin Balester in the second inning during a baseball game, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009 in Cincinnati.

Associated Press photo by David Kohl Cincinnati Reds' Jonny Gomes, middle, is congratulated by Adam Rosales, left, and Laynce Nix, right, after Gomes hit a two-run home run off Washington Nationals pitcher Collin Balester in the second inning during a baseball game, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009 in Cincinnati.

ENLARGE PHOTO

High school sports results for May 26
5/26/12
Reds' six-game winning streak broken
5/26/12
Annual Warrior Soccer Classic kicks off today
5/26/12
Dragons' rally falls short against Lansing
5/26/12
WSU baseball ousted from tournament
5/26/12
> More sports headlines

By Hal McCoy, Staff Writer Updated 12:39 AM Friday, August 14, 2009

CINCINNATI — Jonny Gomes brought his own blow torch to the game Thursday night in Great American Ball Park against the Washington Nationals.

And he nearly burned down the house.

Gomes homered his first three times up, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 7-0 win over the loss-infected Nationals (40-75).

The Gomes homers:

A 439-foot two-run blast to left off starter Collin Balester in the second.
A 385-foot two-run rip to left off Balester in the fifth.
A 410-foot crusher to straightaway center off relief pitcher Jason Bergmann in the sixth.

Add 'em up: Three homers, 1,234 feet, five RBIs, 1,080 feet of trotting around the bases, biggest smile this side of Miss America, only not phony.

Gomes struck out his fourth time, earning respect when relief pitcher Mike MacDougal buzzed his tower with the first pitch of his fourth at-bat.

"The other time I hit three home runs in one game in 2005 (Kansas City) I hit the third one off MacDougal," said Gomes. "Maybe he remembered that. Whatever, I wasn't going to let somebody throwing at me ruin my night."

Gomes was asked for a curtain call by fans after the third homer and said, "It's emotional for me. Let's not forget I started the season in Triple-A. Not too many at-bats later, three home runs.

"Who are we, as ballplayers, without the fans," he said. "To have them appreciate the grind we have is special. Very educated fans in Cincinnati and I soaked it in for a minute."

Shuffled to supporting roles were starting pitcher Bronson Arroyo and catcher Ryan Hanigan.

Arroyo held the Nationals to a pair of singles, the first one by former teammate Adam Dunn, en route to his third complete game.

Earlier in the day, a national newspaper went into more depth about Arroyo's use of non-approved supplements, although they also are not banned. When asked about it, he said, "When I take the hill, I don't let anything bother me.

"Stuff in the paper is inconsequential," said Arroyo. "We live in a world where people care about what Paris Hilton is having for lunch versus how many guys are getting killed in Iraq. And that's the truth.

"Look at the Josh Hamilton stuff that came out? Is that more important than how many home runs he has hit? That's the society we live in and sometimes I speak my mind more than I should and sometimes it blows up in my face."

Washington's Dunn was asked if he and his teammates were bothered facing a guy taking untested/unproven supplements and Dunn said, "We don't care. Whatever he took was right tonight."

Hanigan, without an RBI since June 13, clubbed his second homer of the year in the second inning, only his second extra base hit since July 1.

Arroyo pretty much shrugged off the day's controversy and said, "I kept my pitch-count down (103 for the game) and I didn't have unbelievable stuff. It allowed me to go deep in the game and let me finish it up."

Of Gomes' three homers, Arroyo said, "I thought, 'That has to be the first time for that in his career, 'But he said, 'No, the second time,' so it's old hat for Johnny."

Share this article