Janssen, Nats can't hold on as series winning streak ends in 8-5 loss

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo signed right-hander Casey Janssen shortly after trading away reliable reliever Tyler Clippard this offseason. The idea was for Janssen to take over Clippard's high-pressure eighth-inning role. At least today, the experiment didn't work, as Janssen blew the Nats' lead and was thumped for four runs in an 8-5 loss.

"The fact of the matter is we've got our eighth-inning guy in there with a one-run lead," Nationals manager Matt Williams told reporters after the game. "We'll take that every single day. It didn't work out for us today but we'll take it every day and have an opportunity to win that game."

The collapse ends the Nats' series winning streak at nine. It was bound to happen, but few expected it to come against the Reds, who entered this weekend losers in 10 of their last 11 games.

After spending most of the first two months on the disabled list with tendinitis in his throwing shoulder, Janssen finally made his season debut last week and immediately succeeded in two high-leverage situations. He had not allowed a baserunner in his three previous appearances.

Janssen didn't fare as well in the eighth today. He began the inning trying to preserve a one-run lead. It started positively as Janssen got the dangerous Joey Votto to ground out to shortstop Ian Desmond. But then the Reds brought out the lumber.

Third baseman Todd Frazier made a bid to tie the game on his own, crushing a cutter deep to left-center field. However, Denard Span leaped and brought the ball back in the park. Span wasn't able to make the catch, but it appeared at the time that he had at least saved the day by preventing the homer and holding Frazier to a double. Unfortunately for Janssen and the Nats, it was just the beginning of the Reds onslaught.

Janssen eventually loaded the bases before shortstop Zack Cozart drilled a two-out two-RBI double over Span's head to give the Reds the lead. Williams stuck with Janssen and two batters later, center fielder Billy Hamilton knocked in two more on a single.

"We get an opportunity with two out there and two strikes to shut the door and he left a breaking ball up for Cozart," Williams told reporters. "And then at that point, we have an opportunity to make a force play anywhere and ... another base hit. That's pretty much the story of the inning."

The loss wasted a nice day from a one of the Nats reserves. Michael A. Taylor was a late addition to today's lineup after Bryce Harper was scratched with back soreness. The rookie mashed a three-run homer off the second deck façade in left field in the sixth to break a 2-2 tie.

Yunel Escobar, Ryan Zimmerman, Clint Robinson and Danny Espinosa all had multi-hit games. Escobar was tossed in seventh for arguing balls and strikes after a strike three call.

Starter Gio Gonzalez was solid but not great over 5 1/3 innings. He allowed four runs on seven hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. In one of the more bizarre occurrences, Reds starter Raisel Iglesias hit Gonzalez with pitches on consecutive at-bats. The second time, Iglesius' 92 mph fastball ran in hard on Gonzalez, nailing him in the left tricep. Luckily, Gonzalez's arm guard caught the brunt of the heater.