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Homer pick: Bailey, Reds tangle with Nationals

Apr 14, 2012 - 2:44 PM (Sports Network) - Right-hander Homer Bailey makes his second career start against the Washington Nationals today when the Reds visit Nationals Park for the third of a four-game series.

The 25-year-old, a first-round draft choice from 2004, was hit hard in his lone meeting with the Nationals and took a loss after allowing five runs on seven hits in two innings - walking one and striking out three.

Bailey won a career-high nine games in 22 starts last season, walking 33 batters and striking out 106 in 132 innings with a 4.43 earned run average.

He was beaten, 7-1, in his 2012 debut on April 9 against St. Louis, dropping a 7-1 verdict after surrendering four runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings.

The Texan is opposed by 28-year-old righty Edwin Jackson, who makes his second start in a Washington uniform after splitting last season with the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals while going 12-9 in 32 appearances.

The Nationals are Jackson's seventh team - following the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay, Detroit, Arizona, the White Sox and Cardinals - since he debuted with four appearances with the Dodgers in 2003.

Jackson has made just one career start against the Reds and got a no-decision after allowing two runs on eight hits in seven innings.

He debuted in April 9 in New York and got a no-decision in a 4-3 Washington loss after giving up three runs and four hits in five innings.

On Friday, Jayson Werth reached down to slap a bases-loaded single up the middle in the 13th inning, giving the Nationals a 2-1 win in game two of the series.

The first two games ended in extra-innings wins for the Nats. They got a 3-2 win in 10 on Thursday when Ryan Zimmerman scored on a wild pitch.

In game two, the Nats loaded the bases with one out against Sean Marshall (0-1) on a Danny Espinosa single and back-to-back walks to Zimmerman and Adam LaRoche.

Werth was down in the count, 1-2, but got enough of his bat on a low curveball to get it through the middle of the infield on the shortstop side.

Earlier, Xavier Nady tied the game for Washington with a pinch-hit homer in the bottom of the eighth inning.

The Reds won four of six versus the Nationals a season ago, but both losses came in Washington.