Cincinnati, OH – Todd Frazier and Zack Cozart each hit two homers and the Cincinnati Reds smacked six home runs in a 15-0 rout of the Washington Nationals in the opener of a three-game series.
Frazier went 4-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored for the Reds, who had 19 hits. Cozart knocked in five runs, Xavier Paul hit a grand slam and Shin- Soo Choo added a solo homer.
Homer Bailey (1-0) gave up just two hits over six scoreless innings for Cincinnati, which has won three in a row. The right-hander, who fanned six and walked three, went 13-10 with a 3.68 ERA in 33 starts last season.
Dan Haren (0-1) got rocked in his Nationals debut, allowing six runs on nine hits over four innings. The right-hander, who gave up four homers, went 12-13 with a 4.33 ERA in 30 starts with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim last season.
Washington was hoping to build off a three-game sweep of the Marlins.
Cincinnati's home run parade got started in the second. Frazier and Cozart hit back-to-back blasts with one out. Frazier's found the upper deck in left, while Cozart's homer just cleared the wall in left.
Cozart added a three-run homer during Cincinnati's next at bat. Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips started the frame with consecutive singles. Haren retired the next two batters before Cozart smacked his offering over the wall in left, making it 5-0.
Choo's solo blast to right-center field in the fourth made it 6-0.
Cozart continued his big night in the fifth. Zach Duke gave up a one-out single to Frazier, who stole second and advanced to third on catcher Kurt Suzuki's throwing error. Cozart followed with a sacrifice fly.
Bailey got out of minor jams in the third and fifth, with the Nationals stranding men on first and second in each inning.
The Reds turned the game into a laugher with a seven-run seventh. After Jay Bruce hit an RBI double, Frazier cleared the wall in right to make it 10-0. Cincinnati loaded the bases with two outs later in the inning. Paul stepped to the plate as a pinch-hitter and launched a grand slam -- the first of his career.
Frazier added an RBI single in the eighth to account for the final margin.
Game Notes
Washington won five of seven games against the Reds in 2012, including two of three in Cincinnati ... Haren signed a one-year deal with the Nationals in the offseason for $13 million ... Duke gave up six runs -- five earned -- on six hits over 2 2/3 innings.
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