Nationals Pound Arroyo, Reds 7-2

WASHINGTON (AP) _ John Lannan stuck around longer in his second career start than his first _ long enough to get win No. 1. <br/><br/>Ejected from his big league debut last week after hitting consecutive

Wednesday, August 1st 2007, 9:32 pm

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ John Lannan stuck around longer in his second career start than his first _ long enough to get win No. 1.

Ejected from his big league debut last week after hitting consecutive batters, Lannan took a shutout into the sixth inning Wednesday night, and the Washington Nationals roughed up Bronson Arroyo in a 7-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

Lannan (1-0) got plenty of support from the majors' lowest-scoring offense: Arroyo (4-12) was lifted after allowing seven runs in 1 2-3 innings, the shortest start of his eight-year career.

Lannan cruised through three hitless innings at the outset, and after Jeff Keppinger lined a single to right leading off the fourth, Ken Griffey Jr. grounded into a double play.

Brandon Phillips followed with a single _ and then produced a rare sight. With left-handed-hitting Adam Dunn up, the Nationals employed a shift that put three infielders on the right side, with third baseman Ryan Zimmerman essentially playing shortstop. Phillips stole second and, when catcher Brian Schneider didn't attempt to throw him out, rounded the bag and headed for third without breaking stride.

He was credited with two stolen bases on the play, giving him 21 for the season.

That oddity was the Reds' only highlight.

Washington batted around in the first inning, scoring four runs on five hits, including doubles by Felipe Lopez and Austin Kearns and a two-run single by Ryan Church. It didn't get any better for Arroyo in the second, when Ronnie Belliard hit an RBI double, and Kearns deposited a 69 mph hanging curveball in the upper deck in left for a two-run homer.

That was Arroyo's final pitch. His shortest start in the majors before Wednesday? The two innings he went against Washington on May 21, when he gave up six runs. So in 2007 against the weak-hitting Nationals, Arroyo has allowed 13 runs in 3 2-3 innings, a 31.91 ERA.

Quite a contrast from last season, when Arroyo tossed 16 shutout innings against Washington.

Lannan, meanwhile, went 5 2-3 innings Wednesday, allowing two runs and five singles. The rookie left-hander left after giving up RBI singles to Griffey _ whose hit snapped an 0-for-14 drought _ and Dunn in the sixth.

The 22-year-old Lannan began the season at Class-A Potomac but steadily moved his way up, level by level, until getting his first chance to pitch for the Nationals at the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday.

It was an OK outing that turned downright odd in the fifth inning, when Lannan hit Chase Utley _ who later turned out to have a broken hand _ and then Ryan Howard.

Lannan was immediately tossed from the game, as was manager Manny Acta for arguing about his pitcher's ejection. The Nationals were losing at the time, but came back to win, while Acta and Lannan watched on TV in the clubhouse.

Before Wednesday's game, Acta was asked what he'd like to see from Lannan against the Reds.

``I just hope that he has a quality outing,'' Acta said. ``There's been so much said about what happened in the first outing. He wants to put it behind.''

Consider it done.

Notes: Zimmerman made two errors in a game for the first time since Sept. 8, 2006 _ a fielding error in the first and a throwing error in the seventh. That gave him 17 errors in 2007, two more than in all of 2006. ... LHP Phil Dumatrait will be recalled from Triple-A Louisville on Thursday so he can start that night for the Reds.