Big blasts aplenty in Nationals' 13-7 win over Reds

CINCINNATI - Matt Adams supplied the early power. Adam Eaton supplied the sustained offense all afternoon. Stephen Strasburg supplied another gem. And then Brian Goodwin supplied the biggest blast of all late to ensure the Nationals would open the season with back-to-back wins.

Today's 13-7 victory over the Reds featured a little bit of everything, with contributions aplenty. And thanks to that, the Nats are 2-0 with a chance to sweep the series Sunday afternoon at Great American Ball Park.

Adams, getting the start at first base with Ryan Zimmerman on the bench, set the tone early with a towering three-run homer to right-center. Trea Turner, once again batting sixth, also homered to account for one of the six runs the Nationals scored off electric Reds right-hander Luis Castillo. And then there was Goodwin, whose first career grand slam in the top of the ninth broke the game wide open.

By day's end, though, Eaton was the offensive star. After a solid opening day to mark his return from reconstructive knee surgery, the leadoff man went 5-for-5 with a homer, two doubles, four runs and 10 total bases in a brilliant performance.

Put it all together, and in two games to begin the season Eaton is 6-for-8 with a .778 on-base percentage and a 1.250 slugging percentage. And when you include the 23 games he played last season before tearing his ACL, Eaton now sports a .333 batting average, .422 on-base percentage, .535 slugging percentage and .957 OPS while wearing a Nationals uniform. The only player in club history with 100 plate appearances and a higher OPS? Daryle Ward, who posted a .958 mark in 2006.

All that offense didn't seem necessarily early on when Strasburg carved up the Cincinnati lineup just like Max Scherzer did 24 hours earlier. Strasburg retired 10 in a row at one point but then finally surrendered a solo homer to Scott Schebler in the bottom of the fourth, the first run scored off the Nationals pitching staff in 13 innings to begin the season.

Strasburg allowed two more runs in the sixth, though both were unearned after Turner booted a potential double-play grounder. And when Strasburg got into another jam in the seventh, left-hander Sammy Solis entered from the bullpen to record two huge outs of Joey Votto and Scooter Gennett and strand the bases loaded.

Matt Grace allowed a two-run homer to Adam Duvall in the eighth, but Goodwin's grand slam off Kevin Quackenbush in the top of the ninth ensured the Nationals would be able to coast to victory, even with a two-run homer surrendered by Enny Romero in the final frame.