Nats hold off Reds 2-1, get long-awaited one-run victory

The Nationals have shown they can win some lopsided games, riding big offensive showings to big victories. If, however, they're going to pull off a late-season surge, they're going to have to start winning some tight ballgames when there's little-to-no margin for error.

Like today's series finale against the Reds, in which the Nationals held a one-run lead in the fourth inning and then tried to make it hold up the rest of the afternoon.

It wasn't easy, but the challenge facing the Nats right now isn't easy. And so this 2-1 victory, capped off by a scoreless ninth from Kelvin Herrera was quite significant, in both the small and big pictures.

It was the Nationals' first one-run win since June 13, only their 11th in 29 opportunities this season, and it allowed them to win back-to-back series for the first time since the final week of May.

Herrera, whose tenure so far in Washington has been less than lights-out, finished it off by striking out pinch-hitter Joey Votto on a 2-2 changeup at the knees. Ryan Madson tossed a 1-2-3 top of the eighth to bridge the gap and make sure Tanner Roark's latest brilliant start didn't go for naught.

Roark cruised once again to continue his post-All-Star break surge, with seven innings of one-run ball. In his last three starts, he has now allowed only two runs in 22 innings, striking out 20 while walking only one.

Roark entered this start encouraged by his positive turnaround the last two times he took the mound, and he took the mound with renewed confidence today, setting the tone with a 10-pitch top of the first.

Roark's resurgence has been the result of better fastball movement and command, and he displayed both qualities this afternoon. He also managed to induce weak contact, and as a result limit damage.

The Reds' biggest threat came in the top of the fourth, when three singles loaded the bases, then a fourth brought home their first run. It was the kind of situation that might have spiraled out of control for Roark earlier this summer, but this time he clamped down, getting Tucker Barnhart to pop up, Brandon Dixon to whiff at a 93 mph fastball and the pitcher to fly out to end the inning with only the one run across the plate.

That kept the Nationals ahead by a 2-1 margin, those two runs having been plated early against Luis Castillo via one big blast and one well-timed hit.

Matt Wieters provided the big blast, sending a second-inning pitch from Castillo into the second deck in right field for his first home run since April 29.

Bryce Harper then provided the clutch hit, sending a two-out double down the left field line to bring home Adam Eaton in the bottom of the third and continue his recent trend toward hitting the ball to the opposite field with authority.

Those two runs proved critical, because despite a few opportunities the Nationals could not tack on an insurance run or two and provide their pitchers some cushion.

Roark didn't need any, closing out his afternoon in style with a 1-2-3 top of the seventh and earning an ovation and handshakes as he departed after an 88-pitch gem. But the pressure was now on the Nats bullpen to record six outs with no margin for error.