The Cincinnati Reds were looking to avoid being swept in Washington on Sunday, but they couldn’t. The game was tied in the bottom of the eighth inning, but one pitch and one swing made the difference as the Nationals hit a 3-run home run to pull out a late victory and sweep the Reds in a 3-game series to start the bottom half.

Noelvi Marte scored in the top of the 2nd inning when he hit a solo homerun with 2 outs. He was on the other side of the line in the next inning. Andrew Abbott walked the leadoff batter in the 3rd inning and then gave up a 2-out double that put two men in scoring position. Austin Wynns had intercepted the lead runner and made a clean catch from third base, but Marte came up empty-handed and the ball rolled into the outfield. That scored a run and the inning could continue. A few pitches later, Harold Ramirez singled in and the Nationals took a 2-1 lead.

The Reds would tie the score two innings later with a solo homerun by Stuart Fairchild to lead off the 5th inning. Andrew Abbott kept the score tied through the 7th inning, and with two outs and no one on base, he passed to Lucas Sims to retire Lane Thomas and send the game to the 8th inning.

Sims returned to the mound for the bottom of the 8th and after throwing out Juan Yepez and letting Jesse Winker fly, he allowed back-to-back singles. That led to a pitching change with Justin Wilson facing left-handed rookie James Wood. He took the first pitch and slammed it into the seats for a go-ahead 3-run home run. In the top of the 9th, Kyle Finnegan needed just five pitches to shut out the side and secure the victory as Washington completed a 3-game sweep of the Reds.

Key moment of the match

James Wood hit a 410-foot home run in the eighth inning for three runs, breaking the 2-2 tie.

Comments worth mentioning

Other games are currently being played, but currently only the Colorado Rockies and Miami Marlins have a worse record than the Cincinnati Reds among teams in the National League.

Andrew Abbott lowered his ERA to 3.19 on the season in the outing, but he did surrender three hits and struck out just one on the day as he tiptoed through the Nationals lineup.

Elly De La Cruz was the only Red to reach base twice in the game. He was the club’s only batter to walk on the day. He also stole his 48th base of the season in the game.

What’s Next for the Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati Reds vs. Atlanta Braves

Monday, July 22, 7:20 PM ET

Hunter Greene (6-4, 3.34 ERA) vs. Reynaldo Lopez (7-3, 1.88 ERA)