Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Livan Hernandez threw his second complete game of the season and Adam Dunn hit a two-run homer to power Washington's offense, as the Nationals topped the Cincinnati Reds, 7-1, in the finale of a four-game series.
Hernandez (7-6) gave up one run on seven hits, did not walk a batter and struck out five. The right-hander snapped a two-start losing streak and got his first victory since June 21.
Roger Bernadina hit a solo home run, while Adam Kennedy went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Nationals, who won Wednesday's game and gained a split in the series.
"We needed to put a couple together, and especially against a ballclub as good as Cincinnati," said Nationals manager Jim Riggleman. "We needed to win a couple. Not win a game and take a step back. We needed to show ourselves that yeah, you know, we can play with these other teams and put a few together and not win sporadically, but win more consistently."
Edinson Volquez (1-1), in his second start since returning from Tommy John surgery, gave up six runs in 2 1/3 innings to take the loss.
Ramon Hernandez was brought off the disabled list Thursday and drove in the lone run for the Reds, who allowed 24 runs in the series.
Saturday against Colorado, in his first start this season, Volquez allowed a run in six innings and struck out nine. However, he was decidedly less effective Thursday.
"He was down too low with his changeup, and up too high with his fastball. So just trying to find a consistent release point," said Reds manager Dusty Baker. "He had that last time out, and this time he just couldn't find it."
The Nationals got a run in the first inning, when Nyjer Morgan walked, stole second, moved to third on a flyout, then scored on a groundout from Ryan Zimmerman.
Volquez got out of that inning, but put himself in a bad position in the second, when he walked the bases loaded with one away. Livan Hernandez followed with an RBI single, and another run scored when Morgan grounded into a fielder's choice, making it a 3-0 game.
Then in the third, Zimmerman led off with a single before Dunn hit his 23rd homer of the season. Volquez threw a fastball away, and Dunn blasted it to left field.
Willie Harris later tripled, then scored on Kennedy's single, and that was the end of Volquez's day. Carlos Fisher entered and threw 3 2/3 scoreless relief innings, but by that point the Reds were too far behind.
Cincinnati scored its only run in the fourth, when Ramon Hernandez grounded into a fielder's choice with runners on the corners. Livan Hernandez shut the Reds down from there, and Bernadina added his sixth homer of the year in the seventh.
Volquez gave up five hits, walked four and struck out four. He threw only 38 of his 75 pitches for strikes...Harris finished with two hits...Dunn entered Thursday's contest 0-for-13 in his last four games...Morgan stole a career-high three bases...Livan Hernandez recorded the 49th complete game of his career...Ramon Hernandez, who played first base Thursday, was on the DL with inflammation in his left knee. In addition to bringing him off the DL, the Reds outrighted catcher Corky Miller to Triple-A Louisville and signed free agent pitcher Jason Isringhausen to a minor league contract.