Willingham capitalizes on Reds’ shoddy defense to give Nationals a 5-4 win

Reds defense help Nationals rally for 5-4 win

CINCINNATI — Ryan Zimmerman drove in two runs with help from a defensive lapse by the Cincinnati Reds, and the Washington Nationals rallied for a 5-4 win Sunday.

Reliever Arthur Rhodes (0-1) came on to face slugger Adam Dunn with one out and the Reds leading 4-3 in the eighth inning. Rhodes brushed Dunn with a pitch, and Josh Willingham followed with a single to right — his third hit of the day.

One out later, Zimmerman pinch-hit for Alberto Gonzalez and lofted a bloop single to short right field, just under the glove of a diving Chris Dickerson — in as a defensive replacement.

Dunn scored as the ball rolled free, and Willingham took off from third when rookie second baseman Drew Sutton lobbed a throw to first baseman Joey Votto behind the mound. Votto’s throw home was high and Willingham ran into leaping catcher Ryan Hanigan as he gave Washington a 5-4 lead.

Jorge Sosa (2-1) allowed a hit in 1 2-3 innings of relief to get the win, Washington’s third straight after dropping the opener of the four-game series. Mike MacDougal got the four outs for his 13th save.

Washington’s comeback cost Cincinnati’s Justin Lehr his third win in his last three starts. Lehr allowed six hits and three runs with two strikeouts in six innings. He didn’t walk anybody, but he did hit a batter.

Nationals starter John Lannan got off the hook after giving up six hits and four runs with three walks and two strikeouts in 5 2-3 innings.

Willingham hit a two-run homer in the fourth to break up a scoreless tie, his 19th homer of the season. But the Reds took a 4-2 lead in the fifth on Votto’s RBI single and Johnny Gomes’ three-run shot, his fourth home run of the series and 15th of the season.

Dunn was 4 for 8 with two doubles, a home run, six walks and five runs in the series against the team he broke into the majors with. He also was hit by two pitches — both on Sunday.

NOTES: Reds 2B Brandon Phillips was scratched from the original starting lineup with a sore left hand. Phillips was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning of Saturday’s game. X-rays were negative. Rookie Drew Sutton made his first career start at second base. … Former Ohio State running back Archie Griffin, college football’s only two-time Heisman Trophy winner (1974, 1975), threw out the ceremonial first pitch as part of OSU Alumni Day.