CINCINNATI (AP) — Patrick Corbin pitched six effective innings, Josh Bell had a two-run double and catcher Kelbert Ruiz picked Nick Senzel off first base to end the game as the Washington Nationals beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-4 on Sunday.
Ruiz threw behind Senzel to Bell. His diving tag and Senzel’s dive back to first kicked up a cloud of dirt, but first base umpire Andy Fletcher made the call that survived a Reds challenge and video review.
“That was a weird play — lot of dirt,” Bell said with a grin. “That was a fun way to end it.”
“I saw him take a big lead,” Ruiz said through an interpreter. “Myself and (Bell) just looked at each other and put the play on.”
Nationals manager Dave Martinez called it an “an unbelievably heads-up play.”
Senzel believed Fletcher got the call wrong and blamed himself.
“It should never happen, but that was a design play called. They made a good play, but it should have never happened. … I was safe,” Senzel said. “He never tagged me.”
Reds manager David Bell said players “have to be aware of a lot” in that situation and that it does happen, but “it’s no excuse.”
Earlier in the game, Maikel Franco homered for the first time since May 14 and Washington capitalized on two fourth-inning Cincinnati errors.
The three-game losing streak is the Reds’ longest since dropping nine straight in late April and early May. Washington’s three straight wins follow a four-game losing streak.
“There is no easy way to lose when they’re doing everything they can to win games,” Bell said. “The appearance is that it comes down to one play. That’s not the case at all. There’s a lot of things that went into what happened this weekend.”
Corbin (2-8) overcame nine Cincinnati hits and three first-inning runs in the…
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