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Dunn powers Reds to sweep of Nationals

Jul 6, 2008 - 9:35 PM By Douglas Tift PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Adam Dunn homered and Edinson Volquez provided another quality outing for the Cincinnati Reds as they completed a four game sweep of the Washington Nationals with a 6-5 win on Sunday.

Washington rookie righthander Collin Balester retired the first 11 batters that he faced in order, but ran into trouble after walking Ken Griffey Jr. in the fourth. After Brandon Phillips singled to left field, Dunn made Balester pay by launching his 22nd home run of the year to right field.

"There was two strikes and I really wasn't sure exactly what he was going to throw," Dunn said. "It ended up being a fastball down and in, and I just dropped the head to it and it went."

Cincinnati tacked on two more runs off of Balester (1-1) in the fifth when David Ross followed a single by Joey Votto with an RBI double, then came home two batters later on a groundout by Jerry Hairston Jr.

Volquez, the presumptive All-Star game starter for the National League, got the start for Cincinnati, going six innings, allowing one run and five hits, striking out three.

"I'm excited to be in the All-Star Game," Volquez said. "Everybody has a dream. A lot of pitchers want to win the Cy Young Award, and I think the All-Star game is one of those dreams."

Volquez (11-3) ran into trouble in the third inning, loading the bases with no outs. After allowing an RBI single to Ronnie Belliard and an RBI groundout to Christian Guzman, Volquez walked Austin Kearns and Dmitri Young to force in another run.

"I just need to learn to control my emotions better," said Volquez of his rocky third inning. "I showed the umpire that I was mad at him because he did not call a strike. (I was told in the dugout after the inning) to not show that you are mad and the strikes will come."

Hairston added a seemingly meaningless run in the top of the ninth inning with an RBI single that would prove to be the winning run after the Nationals put two runs on the board in the ninth.

"You always want to tack on a run whenever you can, especially at this level. I was just trying to have a good at-bat and put that bat on the ball and fortunately it was able to fall (for a hit)," Hairston said of his single.

Bill Bray and Jared Burton each worked a scoreless inning of relief to follow Volquez, and Francisco Cordero allowed two runs in the ninth inning, but still recorded his 18th save of the season despite working for a fourth straight day.

"I said (to manager Dusty Baker) that 'Hey, I've got a day off tomorrow.' The more that I pitch the better I feel," Cordero said. "I like to pitch a lot because it means that we are winning and that I am doing my job."

"That was an ugly win if there is such a thing," Baker said.