SB Nation DC - Nationals Vs. Reds: Washington Falls 9-6 On Joey Votto Walk-Off Grand Slam

Nationals Vs. Reds: Washington Falls Victim To The Big Bat Of Cincinnati's Joey Votto

2012-05-14T00:48:34Z

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the bases loaded and with the Washington Nationals holding on to a slim, 6-5 lead, Cincinnati Reds slugger Joey Votto -- down to his last strike -- changed all that with one swing of the bat.

Votto crushed a Henry Rodriguez 4-seam fastball to center field for a walk-off grand slam, giving the Reds the victory by a final score of 9-6. The home run was Votto's fifth of the season.

The loss snaps Washington's three-game winning streak and helped the Reds avoid the weekend sweep.

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Nationals Vs. Reds: Game To Begin After Lengthy Delay

2012-05-13T20:19:32Z

After a delay of nearly four hour, the Washington Nationals and Cincinnati Reds will finally get to play on Sunday, as the Reds have just announced that the game will get underway at 4:45 p.m. ET.

Edwin Jackson and Bronson Arroyo are still slated to be the starting pitchers, and no changes have been made to the two teams' lineups.

Since the teams only had one common off-day the rest of the year on September 13, Reds officials wanted to do everything they could to get the game played today, leading to the lengthy delay.

Nationals Vs. Reds: Rain Delays Start Of Sunday's Game

2012-05-13T16:50:19Z

The weather is not cooperating throughout much of the eastern half of the country, including Cincinnati. Rain has caused the Cincinnati Reds to delay the start of their game against the Washington Nationals.

First pitch was scheduled for 1:10 ET, however at approximately 12:40, the Reds announced the game will not start on time.

Reds officials have said that the weather situation is improving, and they will provide word on the start time of Sunday's game as soon as possible. Given that this is Washington's only trip to Cincinnati all season, they will do everything they can to get in today's game.

The current weather in Cincinnati can be found HERE.

Nationals Vs. Reds: Roger Bernadina Hits Second In Lineup On Sunday, Jesus Flores Replaces Injured Wilson Ramos

2012-05-13T15:38:36Z

Pending some possible rain, the Washington Nationals will take the field on Sunday looking to sweep the Cincinnati Reds. The Roger Bernadina audition in left field continues, with the speedy outfielder batting second on Sunday. Bryce Harper will again bat fifth, and Jesus Flores will be in the lineup, replacing the injured Wilson Ramos. It was reported on Sunday that Ramos tore a knee ligament and will require surgery. The team will place the catcher on the 15-day disabled list, and he may be lost for the entire season.

The official lineup, via the team's twitter feed:

Today's lineup: Desmond, ss; Bernadina, lf; Zimmerman, 3b; LaRoche, 1b; Harper, rf; Espinosa, 2b; Ankiel, cf; Flores, c; Jackson, p
— Nationals PR (@NationalsPR) May 13, 2012

Wilson Ramos Injury Update: Catcher Needs Surgery For Torn Knee Ligament, According To Report

2012-05-13T13:46:16Z

The injury news for the Washington Nationals continues to pile up. Catcher Wilson Ramos was injured in Saturday night's game with the Cincinnati Reds, and after initially not knowing the extent of the injury it now appears to be serious. Via Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post:

Wilson Ramos needs surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right knee, according to @Marfamata, his spokeswoman.
— Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) May 13, 2012

The loss of Ramos is yet another blow to an already depleted Washington lineup. Sandy Leon of Harrisburg has been called up to at least serve initially as the team's back-up catcher.

Nationals Vs. Reds: Washington Aims For Sweep Of Cincinnati On Sunday

2012-05-13T13:10:16Z

On Sunday in Cincinnati the Washington Nationals go for a sweep of the Reds, and if the first six weeks of the season are any indication, stellar starting pitching will be the key to a victory. Washington has by far the best rotation ERA in the bigs, a minuscule 2.24, and four of the rotation's starters are in the Top 15 in the National League in ERA.

Edwin Jackson (1-1, 3.49 ERA) takes the hill for the Nationals, less than a month after two-hitting Cincinnati at Nationals Park. Jackson needed just 92 pitches in the 4-1 victory over the Reds.

Bronson Arroyo (2-1, 2.75) will take the hill for the Reds. Arroyo's career against the Nationals has been erratic to say the least. In 10 starts, he has pitched at least six scoreless innings five times, giving up two runs over eight innings in another. The other four starts? Arroyo is 0-3 with a 13.50 ERA.

Washington suffered yet another injury on Saturday night, as catcher Wilson Ramos was hurt. Sandy Leon from Harrisburg has been called up to serve as the Nationals back-up catcher.

Nationals Vs. Reds: Wilson Ramos Injury Means Call-Up For Sandy Leon

2012-05-13T12:31:15Z

Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos was injured in Saturday night's game against the Cincinnati Reds, and with the team not knowing the extent of the injury yet a backup catcher is needed for the immediate future. Harrisburg's Sandy Leon happened to be playing in Akron this weekend, so he gets the call. Via Amanda Comak of the Washington Times:

The Washington Nationals won't know for sure until Sunday morning just how serious the injury is to catcher Wilson Ramos, but in need of an immediate move to have a backup catcher for Sunday's game, the club is planning to give Sandy Leon an opportunity.

Leon, 23, is a switch-hitting catcher who is considered one of the Nationals' best prospects at the position and was named the best defensive catcher in the Carolina League during the 2011 season by Baseball America. Leon has drawn raves from the Nationals' scouts since he signed in 2007 for his exceptional receiving skills, his quick release and his strong throwing arm.

Leon is batting .319 at Harrisburg, with 10 doubles, four walks and only 10 strikeouts in 94 at-bats. His stay with the team will likely be determined by the severity of the injury to Ramos.

Nationals Vs. Reds: Pair Of Home Runs Give Washington 2-1 Victory

2012-05-13T03:04:31Z

The Washington Nationals (21-12) grabbed their third consecutive win on Saturday night -- a 2-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds (16-16) at Great American Ball Park. It did, however, come at a price. During the bottom of the seventh inning, Nats cathcer Wilson Ramos was forced to leave the game after twisting his right knee while attempting to grab a passed ball. His status is unknown, possibly adding to Washington's growing list of injuries.

Helping maintain their modest winning streak, the Nationals grabbed the win after two solo home runs from Ramos and Danny Espinosa in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively.

Getting the start for Washington was Jordan Zimmermann, who lasted seven innings, struck out nine batters and gave up just one run to improve to 2-3 on the season.