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Nationals, Reds wrap up series in DC

Aug 18, 2011 - 2:38 PM (Sports Network) - Right-hander Jordan Zimmermann makes his first career start against the Cincinnati Reds tonight, when the Washington Nationals play the rubber match of a three-game series.

Washington won Tuesday's opener at Nationals Park but saw the visitors pull even Wednesday after Johnny Cueto dazzled in eight-plus innings to guide the Reds past the Nationals, 2-1.

Cueto (9-5) gave up one run -- a ninth inning homer to Ryan Zimmerman -- while scattering six hits and fanning five.

The Dominican entered the game with a 1.94 earned run average, but was 1 2/3 innings shy of the minimum amount to qualify for the National League's ERA lead. After the win, his ERA was trimmed to a league-best 1.89.

Joey Votto homered and Ramon Hernandez drove in a run for Cincinnati, which has won five of its last seven contests.

Zimmerman had two hits and Rick Ankiel added a pair of singles for the Nats, who have lost four times in their last six games.

Ross Detwiler (1-3) was pegged with the loss after giving up a run on seven hits in six innings.

A third-year big-leaguer, Zimmerman has made 46 starts before facing the Reds, including a 4-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in his last outing, where he gave up four runs on nine hits in 6 2/3 innings.

His last win came six days earlier in Denver, where he surrendered two runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings of a 5-3 defeat of the Colorado Rockies.

The 25-year-old Wisconsin native is 3-5 in 10 home assignments this season and tossed seven scoreless innings in his last Washington appearance on July 31 while getting a no-decision against the New York Mets.

The Nationals won that game, 3-2, and are 6-4 in his last 10 starts.

For Cincinnati, veteran right-hander Bronson Arroyo tries yet again for his first win since June 25.

The Key West native won a 10-5 interleague decision at Baltimore to improve to 7-6 on the season, but has since gone 0-3 in eight starts while his earned run average has swelled from 5.01 to a more disturbing 5.31.

The Reds are 3-5 in those eight starts, including a 5-3 win over San Diego on Aug. 12 in which Arroyo got a no-decision for allowing an earned run six hits in six innings.

He is 3-2 lifetime against the Nationals in eight meetings with a 4.10 ERA across 48 1/3 innings.

Arroyo debuted with the Pittsburgh Pirates in June 2000, when Zimmermann was 14 years old.