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CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Reds, coming off a series at Colorado in which they hit 12 home runs, added three more Friday night and spoiled Dusty Baker's return to Great American Ball Park with a 7-2 victory over the National League East-leading Washington Nationals. It was the third consecutive win for the Reds and their fourth in the last five games. The Nationals saw their four-game winning streak end.
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Eugenio Suarez, Zack Cozart and Adam Duvall all hit home runs to back up starting pitcher Brandon Finnegan (2-4), who allowed just one runner past second base in 6 1/3 innings.
Finnegan was attempting to become the third Reds pitcher in a row to complete at least seven innings, something the staff has not done all season, but gave up a solo home run to Jayson Werth and a single to Anthony Rendon with one out in the seventh to end his evening.
"This is fun. I think everything came together tonight for us and we played as a team," said Finnegan, who hadn't won a game since April 16. "You're not going to win every game. As long as the team wins, that's all that matters. As long as I can go out there and keep us in the game as long as I can, that's what's important."
Baker was the Reds manager from 2008 to 2013 and led Cincinnati to three postseason berths. He was given an ovation from the crowd of 27,258 when he was shown on the video boards afte the first inning.
Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez didn't have such a warm welcome from the Reds.
Gonzalez (3-4) suffered his third consecutive loss after giving up five runs and nine hits in six innings. He didn't walk a batter and struck out eight, but the Reds were 4-for-9 against him with runners in scoring position.
"I'm looking at the positives," Gonzalez said. "Eight (strikeouts), no walks. That's the silver lining. My velocity was up. There was progress. You see signs of the old Gio coming back."
Suarez went 3-for-4, drove in two runs and scored twice as he continued a resurgence after a hitless streak of 28 at-bats. Suarez is now 9-for-19 in his last five games with four home runs and seven RBIs.
The Reds batted around while scoring four runs in the second against Gonzalez as the first four batters reached base. Duvall led off with his 14th double of the season. Suarez followed with a single up the middle that scored Duvall for a 1-0 lead.
The Reds loaded the bases on a bloop single to center field by Billy Hamilton and an infield single by Ramon Cabrera. Gonzalez struck out Finnegan before Cozart delivered a single to right field to score Suarez and keep the bases loaded.
Gonzalez struck out Joey Votto swinging on a full count before Brandon Phillips delivered a two-run single up the middle for a 4-0 lead.
"There was a broken-bat hit, an infield hit," Baker said. "But you've got to find a way to get out of that. There was only one ball hit hard. We need him to get himself together. We need Gio. We need him to break this streak he's been on."
Suarez made it 5-0 with a line-drive home run to left field -- his 13th of the season -- with one out in the third.
"I know people look at like he's been in a big slump, but what person doesn't get into a big slump throughout the year?" Cozart said of Suarez. "It's big on him to come out and work hard and then prove that 'Hey, I can go oh-for-20' or whatever it was and come out of it. Now he's hitting the ball hard just like he was before that slump."
Finnegan faced the minimum through three innings despite giving up a single and a walk.
Trea Turner, who singled in the first, walked in the fourth with one out and appeared to safely reach third base on a single by Bryce Harper, but Reds manager Bryan Price challenged the call.
The umpires overturned the call on the field after replay review showed that Turner popped off the bag while Suarez maintained his tag.
Finnegan ended the inning by getting Daniel Murphy to ground out to Phillips at second base.
Reds pitchers held Harper and Murphy to a combined one hit in eight at-bats with two strikeouts. Finnegan got Harper to hit into an inning-ending double play in the first.
"What I did -- just pound him in," Finnegan said about his approach against Harper. "Don't let him get his arms extended. He's a really good hitter, a really big-time hitter. He hits a lot of balls hard, so really just pound him in and keep him from getting his hands extended."
NOTES: Bryce Harper returned to the Washington lineup after missing the last two games with a bruised right knee. ... The Nationals placed 1B Ryan Zimmerman on the paternity list. He was replaced by Trea Turner, who was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse, where he led the International League in runs and stolen bases. ... Reds 1B Joey Votto is hitting .303 (10-for-33) with three home runs, four doubles and seven RBIs in his last seven games. ... Reds C Ramon Cabrera started for the second time in three games. Regular catcher Tucker Barnhart was given the night off after catching Thursday in Colorado and the Reds didn't return home until 4:45 a.m.
