Final Score: Washington 2, Cincinnati 1 (13 innings)

Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Jayson Werth reached down to slap a bases- loaded single up the middle in the 13th inning, giving the Nationals a 2-1 win over the Reds on Friday night.

The first two games of this four-game series have ended in extra innings and the Nats have won them both. They got a 3-2 win in 10 innings on Thursday when Ryan Zimmerman scored on a wild pitch.

Friday, 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.

"A fun game," said Nationals manager Davey Johnson.

For a long time, it was a pitchers' duel.

Reds starter Bronson Arroyo, in addition to having a hit and a sacrifice fly, threw 7 1/3 scoreless innings while giving up just three hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

He came out for Bill Bray, who surrendered Nady's first homer in a Nationals uniform on his second pitch. The ball went off the top of the left field wall.

Washington starter Jordan Zimmermann went seven innings, also giving up three hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

The Reds scored their only run off him in the fifth after Willie Harris led off with a double, moved to third on Ryan Hanigan's ground out and scored on Arroyo's sacrifice fly to center field.

Later, the Nats had runners at first and second in the ninth after singles by Werth and Mark DeRosa, but couldn't score.

They squandered another chance in the 12th. Roger Bernadina drew a one-out walk and stole second base, but was later caught in a run down between third and home and tagged out.

Craig Stammen (2-0) worked around a Joey Votto single in the top of the 13th to pick up the win.

Game Notes

The Nationals have won four in a row and are 6-2, the franchise's best start since moving from Montreal...The Reds were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10.