Washington, DC (Best E Casino) - Pinch-hitters Pete Orr and Ronnie Belliard each drove in a pair of runs as Washington rallied to outlast Cincinnati, 10-6, in the middle test of a three-game set.

Austin Kearns finished 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored for the Nats, who have won the first two games of the series after losing nine in a row. Lastings Milledge homered and Jesus Flores, Kory Casto and Elijah Dukes also drove in a run apiece.

Charlie Manning (1-2) got the win by hurling a scoreless seventh inning. Starter Jason Bergmann went six innings giving up six runs -- five earned -- on six hits and three walks while striking out two.

Joey Votto knocked in three runs and Jay Bruce hit a two-run homer for the Reds, who have lost seven of eight.

Mike Lincoln (1-3) pitched just one-third of an inning, but allowed four runs on three hits and a walk to earn the loss. Josh Fogg allowed three runs in his 5 1/3 inning start by scattering six hits and three walks while striking out five.

Washington finally forged ahead with four runs in the seventh to take an 8-6 lead. Milledge led off with a walk, moved to second on a Kearns single and scored on Casto's one-out base hit. Alberto Gonzalez followed with a single, but Kearns was held at third to load the bases.

Gary Majewski was called on to spell Lincoln, but Dukes' grounder to second was bobbled by Brandon Phillips scoring Kearns and leaving all the runners safe. A pinch-hit single by Orr scored Casto and Gonzalez for a two-run edge.

Milledge added an insurance run with his eighth homer to start the eighth. Kearns singled to right one batter later but Bruce misplayed the ball allowing it to roll to the wall as Kearns went to third. He then scored on a wild pitch to make it 10-6.

Saul Rivera held Cincinnati off the board with a scoreless ninth.

Back-to-back RBI singles from Kearns and Flores gave the Nationals a 2-0 lead in the first.

The Reds wasted little time in answering with a five-run rally in the second. Edwin Encarnacion led off with a walk and moved to third on a Paul Bako one- out single. Fogg laid down a sacrifice bunt, then a Jeff Keppinger walk loaded the bases for Votto, who cleared them with a double to right. Bruce followed with his ninth homer to make it 5-2.

A Bergmann throwing error aided the Reds in taking a four-run lead in the sixth. Corey Patterson hit a one-out single on a dribbler to the mound, but the pitcher threw the ball wide of first allowing Patterson to advance to third. Bako followed by laying down a sac bunt to score Patterson.

The Nationals cut the deficit to 6-4 in their turn on Belliard's pinch-hit, two-run homer.

Game Notes

Despite the loss, the Reds have won four of the six meetings this season...Washington scored in double digits for the seventh time in 2008, and for the first time since a 15-6 rout of Atlanta on July 20.