Janssen still confident in curveball despite loss to Reds

Reliever Casey Janssen thrives on those late-inning calls. He got one Monday night against the Reds in a tie ballgame.

But for the first time in his career, Janssen allowed a home run on a 0-2 count. Reds shortstop Eugenio Suarez drove the offering deep down the left field line for the solo shot just inside the foul pole that lifted the Reds to a 3-2 win over the Nationals. It was his third homer of the season.

The Reds went on to win the game by not allowing a hit over the final three innings.

When Janssen (0-2) saw the ball come off of Suarez's bat, he was hoping it would drift foul or be a pop fly.

"Yeah, no, he didn't get all of it, got it towards the end of his barrel," Janssen said. "Obviously, I was hoping it didn't, but he got just enough of it."

Suarez agreed with Janssen, he didn't feel like he hit the ball on the good part of the bat.

"My first reaction (I thought) it really a pop-up because I hit it in front," Suarez said. "I no hit it well. But God helped me in that ball because I got a home run now."

In a 0-2 count, Janssen wanted to locate the curveball in a place that Suarez couldn't reach, but it floated too far into the zone, allowing Suarez a shot at getting to it.

"I was trying to bounce it, set up the next pitch," Janssen said. "Just didn't get it to where I wanted it to. I had him 0-2 and was in a pretty good position right there."

"Curveball," said Nationals manager Matt Williams. "He got it enough. When it's humid and warm like this, the ball carries pretty well. And he hit it in a perfect spot. Just got it over, inside the pole."

The Nationals were down a couple of starters as the game wore on. Denard Span left with back spasms and Yunel Escobar had to stop because of left hamstring tightness.

Even the bullpen was not at full strength. Earlier in the day, the team activated left-hander Sammy Solis because David Carpenter was placed in the paternity list. Carpenter pitched only one-third of an inning Sunday night in the win over the Giants, and he might have been a possible choice in this game.

Janssen had allowed a run on Saturday and gave up the home run Monday. But he says the loss has nothing to do with the use of his curveball in that situation, just the execution.

"It's good. It's one of my pitches that I'm really confident in," Janssen said. "Again, it wasn't necessarily the pitch, but just the execution of the pitch. The same situation, I would throw it again. I'd just hope to get it in the right spot this time."

Despite the loss, Janssen said the Nationals are in first place in part due to all the bench players who have stepped up while starters have been out to injury.

"It's a testament to all 25 guys out there," Janssen said. "We're playing pretty good despite all the injuries. Unfortunate situations that we put ourselves into, but it says a lot about the guys in this locker room, picking each other up. For the most part, we've been in every game. That's a pretty good sign."