Nick Lodolo tossed a four-hit shutout and the visiting Cincinnati Reds averted a series sweep when they beat the Washington Nationals 5-0 on Wednesday.

Jake Fraley and Santiago Espinal had two hits each for the Reds, who had lost three straight.

Lodolo (8-6) struck out eight without a walk and threw 105 pitches in his first career shutout. The Nationals didn’t put a runner in scoring position until the eighth inning, when Luis Garcia Jr. doubled.

Cincinnati was on the verge of being swept in a three-game series for the first time this season and the Nationals were looking to sweep a series for the first time since May 16-18 against the Baltimore Orioles.

Nationals starter Michael Soroka (3-8) allowed a run on two hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked three.

Leading 1-0, the Reds added two insurance runs in the eighth. Austin Hays singled with one out and went to third on Fraley’s single. Noelvi Marte then doubled, scoring Hays, and Fraley came home on Jose Trevino’s flyout. Will Benson nearly made it 5-0, but Washington’s Jacob Young climbed the center field fence to rob Benson of a home run.

With runners on first and second in the ninth, Cincinnati’s Matt McLain bunted and when third baseman Brady House’s throw to first was wild, Espinal scored. TJ Friedl then came home on a double-play groundout to make it 5-0.

Washington’s James Wood singled with one out in the bottom of the first but was caught stealing.

Two Reds reached with two outs in the third, but Soroka retired Gavin Lux, who went 4-for-4 on Tuesday night.

Elly De La Cruz walked to lead off the fourth, stole second with one out and scored on a single by Fraley for the game’s first run.

The Reds had runners on first and second with two outs in the sixth, but Cole Henry relieved Soroka and got Trevino to fly out.

Espinal singled with one out in the Cincinnati seventh, but Konnor Pilkington came on and got the next two outs.

–Field Level Media