Nats down Reds with hot bats

Baseball Betting Lines

07/21/2010 - Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cristian Guzman clubbed a two-run homer and the Nationals also got two-run singles from Nyjer Morgan and Ian Desmond in an 8-5 win over Cincinnati.

Willie Harris added a solo homer in the ninth inning for Washington, which snapped a four-game skid.

Stephen Strasburg (5-2) fanned seven over 5 2/3 innings to win his third straight start. The heralded rookie was charged with seven hits and three runs.

Bronson Arroyo (10-5) was shelled for six hits and seven runs in 5 2/3 frames and had his three-start winning streak broken.

Miguel Cairo had a two-run single for the Reds, who came into the night winners in four of five games.

The Reds won the first two contests of this four-game series, but on Wednesday the Nationals scored four times in the sixth inning to build a 7-1 cushion before holding on in the late frames.

With the game tied 1-1, Desmond was hit by a pitch to start the fifth. Strasburg put down a sacrifice bunt, and with two down Guzman launched a homer to right field, just his second long ball of the season.

Washington loaded the bases with nobody out in the next inning, and with one out Desmond singled to left field. Cairo made a leaping try at the liner, but the ball glanced off the top of his glove and into the outfield, scoring two. After another Strasburg bunt, Bill Bray entered from the bullpen, but Morgan singled up the middle for a 7-1 margin.

Cairo's base hit plated Joey Votto and Jay Bruce in the bottom of the sixth, but the Reds added just one run in the seventh despite loading the bases with one out. Votto's groundout scored Ryan Hanigan. Tyler Clippard then came in and fanned Jonny Gomes, leaving runners at second and third.

Hanigan barely missed a two-run homer in the eighth, pulling the ball foul down the left-field line. Pinch-hitter Chris Heisey singled off closer Matt Capps to drive in Drew Stubbs later in the inning to get the Reds within 7-5, but with the go-ahead run at the plate and men on first and third with two outs, Brandon Phillips grounded into a force play.

Harris homered to right leading off the ninth against Arthur Rhodes, and Capps recorded his 24th save of the season with a scoreless final frame.

Phillips tripled with two outs in the third inning and Cabrera followed with a line single to left field.

Roger Bernadina's sacrifice fly to center scored Adam Dunn in the top of the fourth, and the Nationals kept the game even in the bottom half thanks to a sparkling defensive sequence. With runners on second and third and one out, Stubbs flied out to right field. Bruce was thrown out at the plate on a perfect one-hop throw from Bernadina.

Game Notes

Before the game, the Reds optioned Micah Owings to Triple-A Louisville and recalled pitcher Carlos Fisher from the same club...This was just the seventh win in the last 33 road games for the Nationals...All-time hits leader Pete Rose was in attendance.

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Marlins could start season without No. 2 starter Johnson

JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.

Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.

MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .

''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''

Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.

He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.

''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''

Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.

Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.

With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.

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