WASHINGTON – After giving up 16 runs in two games to the moribund Washington Nationals, the Cincinnati Reds got rescued from a would-be sweep by left-hander Nick Lodolo, one of the unsung heroes of the pitching staff this season.
Lodolo twirled a four-hit shutout for a 5-0 victory over the Washington Nationals that preserved the Reds’ status as the only MLB team this season that hasn’t been swept.
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The 33 consecutive series without being swept to open the season breaks the franchise record previously held by the 1970 World Series team.
“We didn’t want to come in here and get swept, that’s for sure,” said Lodolo, who threw the Reds’ first shutout without a walk since Johnny Cueto in 2014. “Keep us in the hunt. Now we get home this weekend and see where it puts us.”
The Reds open a three-team “homestand” Friday that concludes the following weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee against the Atlanta Braves.
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Elly De La Cruz led off the fourth Wednesday with a walk, stole second and scored on Jake Fraley’s single for a 1-0 lead that held until the Reds added a pair of runs in each of the eighth and ninth innings.
Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo is congratulated by catcher Jose Trevino after throwing a complete game shutout against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park July 23. Lodolo allowed four hits, walked none and struck out eight.
“I tell you what, I know the score ended up 5-0, but that wasn’t a 5-0 game,” manager Terry Francona said. “That was 1-0. (Lodolo) had to pitch through that for the majority of the game. I thought it was a game where he got stronger, which is a really good sign.”
The Reds went 3-3 during the New York-Washington road trip to start their post-All-Star-break schedule.
With more than two months left in the season, Lodolo (8-6, 3.08 ERA) reached career-high workload benchmarks with his 21st start (ties last year’s total) and 122 2/3 innings (7 1/3 inning more than last year).
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Nick Lodolo shuts out Nationals as Reds avoid sweep in Washington