Thomas (2 HRs) continues to mash in Cincy: 'He likes it here'

CINCINNATI -- On a Friday night when the Reds and Nationals scored all but one of their runs via the long ball, Lane Thomas made sure his pair of home runs was the loudest. He got the Nats on the board in the sixth inning with a solo shot, then hit a two-run blast in the 10th to secure the Nationals’ 6-3 victory at Great American Ball Park. It was the second multihomer game of his career, the other a three-homer day on June 3, 2022, also in Cincinnati.

“He’s been attacking the baseball and getting on fastballs,” manager Dave Martinez said. “It was good to see him come through."

The Nationals’ offense was shut down for five innings by Reds starter Graham Ashcraft. Ashcraft didn’t allow a hit until a fourth-inning single by Joey Meneses, who was stranded after two straight lineouts to left. Thomas’ first-inning strikeout represented one of Ashcraft’s five strikeouts, too.

Thomas finally was able to get to Ashcraft in the sixth inning, breaking the shutout with a Statcast-projected 434-foot bomb to left-center field on an 0-1 slider. It was the longest home run of his career and the fourth-longest by a National this season.

“Everything [Ashcraft] throws moves,” Thomas said. “The fastball cuts, the slider cuts. … It’s hard to barrel stuff like that up, especially when it’s 97, 99 [mph]. You think it’s down the middle, and it runs off your bat a little bit. … It was lucky we got a few runs.”

After Meneses’ two-run home run off Ashcraft tied the game at 3 in the eighth, Thomas delivered the final blow in the 10th inning. He took a 94.8 mph fastball from All-Star closer Alexis Díaz and sent it out to left field at 107.9 mph. The home run scored Jake Alu, who doubled home automatic runner Ildemaro Vargas earlier in the inning to give the Nationals the lead.

“[Alu’s] been a hard out. He’s putting the ball in play,” Thomas said. “We’ve seen some really good arms the last 10, 12 days, couple weeks. … Try to keep swinging, he took a really good at-bat off Díaz late there, and that’s a good guy to get a hit off of.”

Thomas’ first home run broke an 0-for-10 streak that began Tuesday after the Trade Deadline. Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo said that not trading Thomas, who will be a free agent in 2026, was a conscious choice. Rizzo spoke highly of the right fielder’s veteran presence in a young clubhouse. On Friday, Thomas showed exactly why the Nationals kept him.

“Lane comes in and hits the two-run homer to kind of seal the deal. It was awesome. It was fun. It was exciting,” said Blake Rutherford, who was called up Friday and went 0-for-4 in his MLB debut. “Definitely made my first game an amazing experience.”

If Thomas made anything clear on Friday night, it’s that he loves playing against Cincinnati. More specifically, he loves playing in Cincinnati.

Here is just a sampling of his career domination of the Reds:

• Thomas’ six career home runs at Great American Ball Park are his most at any stadium besides Nationals Park, surpassing his four at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, where he spent parts of three seasons.
• His seven home runs against the Reds are his most against any opponent. All seven came as a member of the Nationals.
• His 1.159 OPS in Cincinnati is his second-highest mark at any ballpark where he’s played more than three games.
• Great American Ball Park is known as a hitters park, but Thomas' OPS there is 11th-highest among hitters with at least 50 career plate appearances there.

“He likes it here. It’s been a lot of fun watching him swing the bat here,” Martinez said.

The Knoxville, Tenn., native grew up just 250 miles away from Cincinnati, making this one of the closest Major League ballparks to his hometown.

“It’s close to home. Got some family here,” Thomas said. “So it always gives a little extra motivation to play well in front of them.”