CINCINNATI (AP) — Rookie Graham Ashcraft delivered another gem, throwing seven innings of one-run ball, and Joey Votto and Kyle Farmer hit three-run homers in the Cincinnati Reds 8-1 win over the Washington Nationals on Thursday night. The 24-year-old Ashcraft (2-0), who got his first major league win last week, reached the upper 90s with his sinker and cutter. He struck out four and allowed just four hits, shutting out the Nationals until Josh Bell hit a one-out solo homer in the seventh inning.
Art Warren and Joel Kuhnel each pitched a scoreless inning to finish it for the Reds.
Prized rookies Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo have gotten more attention, but Ashcraft has been hugely promising for the Reds. He pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings in his first win last Friday against the San Francisco Giants.
Joan Adon (1-9) allowed three runs and six hits through 5 1/3 innings for the Nationals. After Brandon Drury reached on an infield single and Tommy Pham walked in the Reds’ first, Votto hit a 2-2 Adon fastball into the right-field seats, his first homer since May 25 and just his third all season.
Matt Reynolds led off the Reds’ seventh with his first homer since May 17, 2017. And with two aboard in eighth, Farmer blasted one off the top of the center-field wall.
The Nationals threatened in the fifth, putting runners on second and third with two outs, but Ashcraft escaped by striking out Victor Robles.
TRAINERS ROOM
Nationals: Right-hander Stephen Strasburg will make a third rehab start on Friday night for Triple-A Rochester. He’s making his way back after neurogenic thoracic outlet surgery sidelined for most of 2021 and the first two months of this season.
UP NEXT
Left-hander Mike Minor makes his first start for the Reds on Friday night after being sidelined all season with a left shoulder strain. He was acquired from the Royals in March in exchange for left-handed reliever Amir Garrett. Right-hander Josiah Gray (5-4, 5.08) is the scheduled starter for the Nationals. Gray allowed a run and three hits in Sunday’s 6-5 win over Colorado.
