 batting right-handed, then went deep from the left side against Josh Smith. Espinosa's previous career high for RBIs was six, and his only other grand slam came in his fifth major league game on Sept. 6, 2010. Gio Gonzalez (4-7) gave up four runs and struck out nine over six innings for the NL East-leading Nationals, whose current winning streak comes on the heels of a seven-game skid. Gonzalez was 0-6 with an 8.44 ERA in his previous seven starts. Ryan Zimmerman got the rout started with a three-run homer in the first inning against the lowly Reds, who have lost eight of nine. Joey Votto homered for Cincinnati, which has yielded 40 runs in its last four games - all of them defeats. Espinosa's slam chased Finnegan, who surrendered eight runs, five hits and five walks in 2 1/3 innings. Smith provided little relief, giving up five runs and four hits in 1 2/3 innings. Washington tied a season high for runs in a game without receiving a contribution from reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper, who was given the night off by manager Dusty Baker.'' His legs are a little tired,'' Baker said, noting that Harper twisted his ankle earlier in the week. ''He's been playing through things the last couple days.'' TRAINER'S ROOMReds: RHP Caleb Cotham (right shoulder inflammation) was scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Thursday night at Class-AA Pensacola against Chattanooga. Manager Bryan Price said the plan is to have Cotham pitch around five times in the minors, ''and then we'll reassess.'' Cotham has been on the DL since May 31. ... OF Billy Hamilton passed concussion protocol and was in the starting lineup after being struck in the face by a deflected line drive Wednesday. Nationals: RHP Stephen Strasburg (back, ribs) is eligible to return from the DL on Friday, but that almost certainly will not happen. ''I'm more inclined not to rush him,'' Baker said. UP NEXTReds: RHP Anthony DeSclafani (2-0, 1.52 ERA) makes his fifth start of the season, bringing a 13-inning scoreless streak into Friday night's game against Washington. Nationals: RHP Tanner Roark (7-5, 2.96) is 3-1 with a 2.30 ERA over his last four starts.
)
Time: 07:05 P.M. EST Venue: Nationals Park
WASHINGTON -- Left-hander Gio Gonzalez may be pitching for his spot in the Washington rotation when the first-place Nationals begin a four-game home series Thursday against the Cincinnati Reds. Gonzalez will get the start opposite left-hander Brandon Finnegan of the Reds, who are last in the National League Central by a wide margin. The game comes two days after the major league debut of Nationals right-hander Lucas Giolito, 21, who showed that he is ready for the bigs by throwing four scoreless innings and allowing just one hit to the New York Mets. Giolito did not return after a fourth-inning rain delay in a game the Nationals won 5-0. When ace Stephen Strasburg (10-0) returns from the disabled list, the Nationals could be faced with a pleasant quandary: send Giolito back to the minors, mostly likely to Triple-A Syracuse, or keep him in the rotation and send Gonzalez to the bullpen. That may be a long shot since the Nationals already have three lefties in the bullpen and general manager Mike Rizzo may want to keep Giolito fresh for a September appearance -- perhaps as a bullpen stopper or spot starter because he is on a innings limit. How would Nationals manager Dusty Baker compare Giolito to other pitchers?"Four innings is not enough to judge," Baker said. "I don't really like to make comparisons because it is not really fair." Gonzalez was acquired by the Nationals in a deal with the Oakland A's after the 2011 season. The veteran from suburban Miami won 21 games in 2012 and helped Washington win the National League East title. However, he couldn't keep the lead in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, and long-time fans of the Nationals have not forgotten that game. The next three years, Gonzalez went 11-8, 10-10 and 11-8 with ERAs between 3.36 and 3.79. This season he is 3-7 with a 4.73 ERA in 15 starts. He has lasted less than six innings per start and has reached the 100-pitch mark by the fifth inning on occasion. He has given up 89 hits (nine homers) and 28 walks with 88 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings. The Nationals have lost his last seven starts, and Gonzalez is 0-6 in that stretch. Mets infielder Asdrubal Cabrera was teammates with Gonzalez in Washington for part of the 2014 season." He knows what he has to do. He enjoys this game a lot," Cabrera said. Finnegan, who came up through the Kansas City system, pitched against the Nationals last September at Nationals Park when Max Scherzer took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. That was the day after reliever Jonathan Papelbon went for the throat of teammate Bryce Harper in the Washington dugout late in the game. In 16 starts this year, Finnegan is 3-6 with a 3.83 ERA. He held the Nationals to one run in 6 1/3 innings June 3 at Cincinnati in a 7-2 victory. The Reds are 29-50 after a loss on Wednesday afternoon to the Chicago Cubs. To make matters worse, center fielder Billy Hamilton was banged up while going for a ball hit by Anthony Rizzo that became an inside-the-park homer. Hamilton left the game in the first inning, and he was diagnosed with a facial contusion. He is in concussion protocol for the second time in 2016." It didn't get him in the eye or the nose. It was more on the cheek," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "I saw him in the fourth or fifth inning, and he was in pretty good spirits. He wanted to stay in the game, but in that situation, we made the best decision." Nationals manager Dusty Baker, who was Cincinnati's manager from 2008-13, said late Wednesday it will not be hard to be ready for the Reds." That is no problem, keeping them motivated," he said of his Washington players. "You can't overlook anybody. The Reds almost swept us in Cincinnati." The Reds won the first two games June 3-4 before the Nationals won the finale 10-9 on June 5.
Looking for More Picks?
You can browse all the individual handicapper picks below.
Cincinnati Reds
Washington Nationals
Pick Center
MLB
FINAL (6/30/2016)
BettingLeverage
