WASHINGTON (Interstat) — Daylen Lile hit a three-run homer in the first inning and added a double in the fourth to spark the Washington Nationals to a 5-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night at Nationals Park.

Harry Ford also homered for Washington, driving in two runs, while Cade Cavalli pitched six strong innings to earn his ninth win of the season. Clayton Beeter worked a scoreless ninth for his 12th save.

The Reds tied the game with three consecutive solo home runs across the second and third innings, but the Nationals answered with Ford’s two-run blast in the fourth and never trailed again.

Cincinnati’s Julian Garcia took the loss after allowing two earned runs in 2.1 innings of relief.

Washington improved to 57-61, while Cincinnati fell to 56-59.

The Nationals struck first against Reds starter Zach McCambley, who lasted just 1.1 innings before giving way to Garcia. CJ Abrams opened the bottom of the first with a sharp line-drive single to right field. Abimelec Ortiz followed with a sharp fly out to center, but Brady House reached on a fielder’s choice that also allowed Abrams to advance to third when Cincinnati shortstop Elly De La Cruz committed a fielding error.

Lile then launched his 15th home run of the season to right field, scoring Abrams and House for a 3-0 Washington lead. McCambley struck out Dylan Crews and got Ford to ground out to third to end the inning.

Cincinnati got one run back in the second inning when Eugenio Suárez homered to left-center field, his 15th of the year. Héctor Rodríguez grounded out and Noelvi Marte struck out to end the frame with Washington still ahead 3-1.

The Reds tied it in the third. Matt McLain led off with his 10th home run to left field. De La Cruz followed with his 20th homer, also to left, evening the score at 3-3. Cavalli then settled down, striking out Sal Stewart and JJ Bleday to end the inning.

After a quick top of the fourth in which Rodríguez doubled but was stranded, Washington regained the lead in the bottom half. Lile led off with his 23rd double, a sharp fly ball to right field. Crews struck out looking but Ford followed with his second home run of the season, a fly ball to center that scored Lile and put the Nationals ahead 5-3.

Garcia, who had entered in relief of McCambley, retired Nasim Nuñez and José Tena after Ford’s homer. Luis Mey then took over for Cincinnati in the fifth and kept the Nationals off the board for the remainder of his 2.2 innings, allowing two hits and striking out four.

Cincinnati threatened in the fifth when McLain doubled and De La Cruz walked with one out, but Stewart grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Reds put two runners on again in the seventh when Marte singled and Ke’Bryan Hayes reached on a soft ground ball to third, moving Marte to third. But McLain struck out, and De La Cruz walked to load the bases before Stewart grounded into another double play, this one started by Nuñez at shortstop.

Washington’s bullpen closed out the game. Yovanny Cruz pitched a scoreless seventh inning, striking out one, and Beeter worked the final inning, allowing no hits and striking out one to record the save.

Both teams finished with seven hits. The Reds grounded into two double plays, while Washington stole no bases and had one runner caught stealing. José Tena was thrown out attempting to steal second in the second inning.

Cincinnati’s pitching staff combined for 20 strikes, 36 balls and 20 balls in play, while Washington pitchers threw 24 strikes, 49 balls and 24 balls in play. The game lasted 2 hours, 38 minutes with an attendance of 26,065.

The Reds had won their previous three games, while Washington had dropped its last four. The Nationals took the season series opener between the teams after losing two of three at Cincinnati in May.

Cincinnati’s offense, which had scored at least five runs in each of its previous three games, managed just the three solo homers against Cavalli and the Washington bullpen. Cavalli allowed seven hits and three earned runs while striking out eight over six innings. He walked two.

For Washington, Lile led the way with his two-hit, three-RBI night. Ford added his two-run homer. McLain went 2 for 3 with a homer and an RBI for Cincinnati, and De La Cruz drove in a run with his homer and also walked twice.

The Reds will look to even the series Saturday when the teams meet again at Nationals Park. Washington will aim to build on its first home win against Cincinnati since last season.

Cincinnati’s next 10 games include two more in Washington, a three-game series at the Chicago White Sox, and a homestand against Miami and St. Louis. Washington’s next 10 include the two remaining games against Cincinnati, a three-game set with the Chicago Cubs, road trips to the Mets and Rangers, and a series at home.

The game had been projected by Interstat’s game simulator to finish with a score of Cincinnati 6, Washington 2, but the Nationals exceeded that projection with a five-run output. Interstat’s ELO system had given Washington a 50.60 percent probability to win. Cincinnati was a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5, and the total of eight runs went over the over-under line of nine.