And it wasn’t as easy as the score might indicate. For seven innings, he had to protect a 1-0 lead. As Reds manager Tito Francona put it, “That wasn’t a 5-0 game, that was a 1-0 game.”
The Reds lifted the pressure by scoring two in the eighth and two in the ninth, enabling Lodolo to record his first career complete-game shutout.
Lodolo’s Mona Lisa enabled the Reds to end a three-game losing streak and avoid getting swept for the first time this season. They remain MLB’s only team not to get swept. They’ve gone 34 series since getting swept.
Lodolo had the Nationals nibbling out of his left hand the entire game with perfectly placed fastballs and put away breaking pitches. He walked none and struck out eight.
How frustrating was it for the Nationals? They didn’t have a runner reach second base until a one-out hustle double on a ground ball up the middle by Luis Garcia Jr. in the eighth.
Lodolo monotonously threw first-pitch strikes the entire game. He had only 33 pitches through three innings and had a five-pitch seventh inning. For the game he threw 105 pitches, 68 for strikes.
As always, Lodolo credited everybody but himself for his performance.
“Good defense and I got some early outs that really helped me,” he told reporters after the game. Good defense? There wasn’t a difficult play forced upon the defense all day, just easy ground balls, weak fly balls and strikeouts.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
“This is what you want to do to be the best in the league,” he said. “That’s what I’m striving to be and that’s what those guys do. I feel like I’ve put myself in a position to do that.”
Francona told reporters had the score remained 1-0 he probably would have gone to the bullpen in the eighth or ninth, but the extra runs gave Lodolo a green light to finish what he started.
“He had to pitch through (1-0) the majority of the game,” he said. “As the game went, he got stronger, which is a really good sign. His breaking ball has been a weapon.
“He held his velocity the entire game, he threw strikes... he just threw a really great game.”
Of teetering on taking him out at 1-0, Francona said, “If the score is 2-0 or 1-0, we have (Emilio) Pagan ready. But there are days, and they don’t come about a lot, where it’s good for them to know they can do it. To be able to finish what they start I think is healthy for them.”
The Reds were having their own problems with Washington starter Michael Soroka, who was 0-10 in 25 starts for the Chicago White Sox last year.
Francona penciled a different-looking lineup and batting order for this one. He gave second baseman Matt McLain and first baseman Spencer Steer a day off.
He played Santiago Espinal at first base, a position he had never played professionally.
He moved Gavin Lux up into the second spot in the batting order and moved Jake Fraley up to fifth and Noelvi Marte up to sixth.
It paid off in the fourth inning. Soroka walked Elly De La Cruz to open the inning. After Austin Hays struck out, De La Cruz stole second on a 3-and-0 count on Fraley, his 27th theft.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
On the next pitch, Fraley singled to center to score De La Cruz to make it 1-0. On his other four at bats De La Cruz hit into two double plays and struck out twice.
Fraley, still feeling pain from a left shoulder that needs surgery and has kept him in and out of the lineup, was 8 for 14 with two doubles and four RBI over the last five games of the 3-and-3 trip.
“I feel good, just put my head down and go out there because it’s nothing new,” said Fraley. “I’ve been very open that I’ve been dealing with his shoulder for four years.
“The pain is something I’m used to,” he added. “The training staff has done a really good job of keeping me out there as long as I can with cortisone and I’ll need another one soon. But I’m feeling good and just want to keep rolling.”
Washington interim manager Miguel Cairo did the Reds a huge favor when it was still 1-0 in the eighth inning.
On Tuesday, he used relief pitcher Konnor Pilkington for two perfect innings and he struck out the side during his second inning.
He was pitching in relief Wednesday, too. He came into the game in the sixth with two Reds aboard and two outs. He retired Jose Trevino to end the inning to keep it 1-0.
He pitched the seventh and gave up a harmless one-out single to Espinal. And he began the eighth by striking out De La Cruz.
For some reason, Cairo removed him and brought in Jack Rutledge and the barn doors swung open at both ends.
Hayes and Fraley both singled. Marte doubled to score Hayes and Fraley scored on Trevino’s sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.
And it nearly became 5-0. Will Benson drove one to straightaway center and center fielder Jacob Young climbed the wall, reached over it, and snagged Benson’s would-be two-run homer.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
No matter. The Reds scored two more in the ninth off Andry Lara, one scoring when De La Cruz hit into his second double play and another scored on an error.
“I thought we needed to win today,” said Francona, “and I didn’t care how. Some games feel like they’re bigger than others. They’re not, but they feel like it. I’m just glad we won today.”
Lodolo made certain of it with his 13th quality start and the Reds are 6-1 in his last seven starts.
NEXT GAME
Who: Tampa Bay at Cincinnati
When: 7:05 p.m.
TV: FanDuel Sports
Radio: 1410-AM, 700-AM
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