Desmond redeems himself with clutch homer (Nats win a thriller)

It had been a pretty rough afternoon for Ian Desmond. The Nationals shortstop committed two errors in today's game against the Reds, both of which led to unearned runs. Desmond had gone 0-for-4 with a strikeout in his first four trips to the plate. He and the rest of the Nats watched as a 5-1 lead became a 5-5 tie. But Desmond redeemed himself for his early-season struggles with a clutch solo home run that was crushed into the upper deck in left, breaking an 11th-inning tie and giving the Nats a lead. The ball was hit so hard I think I heard it screaming as it flew into the stands. Wilson Ramos then followed with a solo shot of his own two batters later, making it a 7-5 Nats advantage. It was Ramos' second homer of the day. Desmond had been 2-for-18 on the season going into that 11th-inning at-bat. He had four errors in five games. But that home run will help him sleep a little easier tonight, as long as the Nats can hang on. Three outs stand between the Nats and a thank-goodness-it's-over win over the scrappy Reds. Update: It might've been a heck of a lot more stressful than Davey Johnson and the Nats would have liked it to be, but a win is a win. Craig Stammen allowed a run in the bottom of the 11th and the Reds put the tying run in scoring position with two outs, but the Nats held on for a thrilling 7-6 win. Stammen struck out Jay Bruce with Brandon Phillips on second to end the game, and Nats fans can breathe a sigh of relief. What a freakin' game this was. The Nats blew a save and made three errors. They hit five home runs, two in the 11th. Ross Detwiler threw six stellar innings and is an afterthought. What a game, indeed.