Little things add up to produce Nats' first two runs of season

CINCINNATI - The Nationals are going to score a lot of runs this season via big blasts and sustained rallies. There's simply too much thunder in their lineup to believe otherwise.

But sometimes you've got to manufacture a run or two to win a ballgame. And that's what made Friday's 2-0 opening day victory over the Reds particularly encouraging.

The Nationals scored their runs by virtue of three singles (one of them on a bunt), a stolen base, some well-executed baserunning and three productive outs. That's it.

It began in the top of the first, with Adam Eaton blooping a single to right in his first major league at-bat since tearing his left ACL nearly 11 months ago. Eaton then tested that reconstructed knee a few batters later when he went first-to-third on Bryce Harper's single to center.

"Right off the bat, you get a single, then you go first to third with a little ball right up the middle," Eaton said. "You find out right away whether you can do it or not. It was good."

With runners on the corners and one out, Ryan Zimmerman sent a ground ball to third that was tailor-made to result in an inning-ending double play. But Harper's hard slide into second base helped force a bad throw from Scooter Gennett to Joey Votto, who couldn't scoop the one-hopper. Zimmerman was safe at first, Eaton was safe at the plate and the Nationals had their first run of the season.

"Really proud of Harper going to second base and getting a bad throw," manager Davey Martinez said. "That's key. That started off right there. The guys were excited about it."

The Nationals didn't score again until the top of the ninth, plating a key insurance run via some more small ball, most of it provided single-handedly by Michael A. Taylor.

In the on-deck circle as Reds reliever Jared Hughes was warming up, Martinez shared a thought with his No. 7 hitter: Why not try to bunt his way on? Moments later, Taylor was standing on first base after a beautifully placed bunt down the third base line.

"I just made a suggestion," Martinez said. "And he executed phenomenally. And what a perfect time to do it."

Taylor wasn't done. With Matt Wieters (a prime double play candidate) at the plate, Taylor took off for second and slid in with the Nationals' first stolen base of the season. That allowed him to advance to third on Wieters' grounder to short, a bit of a risky play since the ball was hit in front of Taylor and José Peraza appeared to briefly think about trying to throw him out at third.

"He read what was going on, and he had a great jump and he made it," Martinez said. "We're going to play aggressive. I said that from the beginning. I know in spring training I let them do what they wanted to do, but that's good to see them playing aggressive."

And when Brian Goodwin lofted a fly ball to medium-deep left field, Taylor was able to sprint home and slide past catcher Tucker Barnhart's tag with the run that extended the Nationals' lead to 2-0. Nobody in uniform was more pleased than the closer warming up in the 'pen who now had some more cushion when he took the mound for the bottom of the ninth.

"That's the mark of a good team win: being able to push a run across late like that to extend your lead," Sean Doolittle said. "That does wonders for your bullpen."

And the manner in which the Nationals manufactured their two runs could do wonders for a team that hasn't always been known for its pristine execution of those kinds of things.

"All those things matter," Martinez said. "Little things matter in this game."