Nationals left fielder Juan Soto wasn’t in the lineup to hit and ace Max Scherzer wasn’t on the mound to pitch.
But the Nationals did well with their replacements, beating the Cincinnati Reds 7-6 on Monday before 22,394 fans at Nationals Park as Trea Turner had two hits and drove in four runs.
The second game of the homestand is Tuesday night with Joe Ross getting the start for Washington, which is 63-55 and 13-18 in one-run games.
Soto was out of the lineup Monday after he sprained his ankle on Sunday in New York. He was replaced by Gerardo “Baby Shark” Parra and the veteran outfielder had an RBI single in his first at-bat and also had a hit in the sixth inning.