Patrick Corbin works 6 sharp innings, Juan Yepez hits 3-run homer as Nationals beat Reds 8-5

WASHINGTON (AP) — Patrick Corbin pitched six sharp innings on his 35th birthday, Juan Yepez hit a three-run homer and the Washington Nationals began the second half of the season by beating the Cincinnati Reds 8-5 on Friday night.

Corbin (2-9) picked up a rare victory, retiring the first eight batters and completing six innings while giving up fewer than two runs for the first time this year. He allowed one run on three hits, walked none and struck out six to frustrate the Reds (47-51), who entered the All-Star break with a realistic shot at a wild-card playoff berth.

The veteran left-hander mixed in a slower slider that bottomed out at 64 mph to mess up the Reds’ timing.

“Just going over their lineup, we saw some opportunities for that pitch,” Corbin said. “Maybe used it a little bit more than we have in the past.”

Cincinnati made it interesting in the ninth, scoring four times against Jose A. Ferrer and Derek Law and forcing Nationals manager Dave Martinez to summon All-Star closer Kyle Finnegan, who retired fellow All-Star Elly De La Cruz on a grounder for his 26th save in 30 opportunities.

“You have to make 27 outs with us. This is a team that never gives up,” Reds starter Frankie Montas said. “The second half, we all have the same goal. It’s just to go out there and keep competing.”

Keibert Ruiz also homered for Washington (45-53), which hovered around .500 through mid-June but lost 14 of 20 going into the break. General manager Mike Rizzo said earlier Friday that he would listen to trade offers for Finnegan and outfielder Lane Thomas as he continues a rebuild that began at the trade deadline in 2021.

Rizzo would surely also be willing to deal Corbin, a pending free agent who is making $35 million this season and is 29-66 with a 5.58 ERA since 2020.

Yepez chased Montas (4-8) with two outs in the fifth when he turned on a 96 mph fastball on the inside corner and lined it just over the wall in left to the apparent disbelief of Montas, who stood with his hands on his hips. It was Yepez’s first homer as a National and he extended his career-best hitting streak to 11 games.

“Honestly, I just reacted to it,” Yepez said. “I saw it’s a good fastball and I just hit it on the barrel and it went out.”

Montas was less surprised in the fourth when he threw a first-pitch fastball down the middle and Ruiz sent it 405 feet to the bleachers in right-center for a two-run shot that made it 4-1. Two batters earlier, rookie James Wood got the Nats on the board with a two-run single.

Jonathan India had an RBI single in the third for Cincinnati. De La Cruz singled in the sixth and stole his major league-leading 47th base.

Making his first appearance this season after he was activated from the 60-day injured list earlier Friday, Ferrer allowed three of four batters to reach in the ninth and was pulled after Austin Slater’s two-run single. Pinch-hitter Jake Fraley lined a two-run double against Law.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: OF Stuart Fairchild (spine disk injury) was activated from the 10-day injured list, and INF Edwin Ríos was designated for assignment. ... LHP Brent Suter exited with left shoulder tightness after retiring two batters on seven pitches.

Nationals: 1B Joey Gallo (left hamstring strain) took grounders Friday but is not yet running, Martinez said. ... RHP Trevor Williams (right flexor muscle strain) threw on flat ground from 75 feet.

Cincinnati’s Nick Lodolo (8-3, 3.33 ERA) opposes Washington’s MacKenzie Gore (6-8, 4.01) in a matchup of lefties on Saturday night.

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