Cincinnati ? Already down by six runs in the second inning, the Cincinnati Reds were expecting the worst. Usually, that’s what they get these days.

Javier Valentin lifted their gloom with a pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning Monday night, setting up an 8-7 victory that represented the Washington Nationals’ biggest meltdown of the season.

“The way we started the game, we thought it was going to be ugly,” said Valentin, who won it with the fifth pinch-hit homer of his career.

It was ugly, all right.

Valentin’s homer off Jon Rauch (2-1) was set up by a misplay characteristic of the NL’s worst team. Center fielder Nook Logan and right fielder Austin Kearns let Scott Hatteberg’s fly drop for an RBI double ahead of Valentin’s homer, leaving the Nationals (16-29) with some explaining to do.

“We were both calling for it,” said Logan, who had his glove lined up but turned away at the last instant. “I saw him at the last minute out of the corner of my eye. He was still running, and he’s a pretty big guy. That cost us the game.”

Jon Coutlangus (2-0) retired the four batters he faced, and David Weathers finished for his ninth save in 10 chances.

Hatteberg homered and doubled twice, driving in four runs as the Reds won for only the fifth time in 19 games. Ken Griffey Jr. added a solo homer, the 572nd of his career. Griffey is one behind Harmon Killebrew for eighth place on the list.

Second baseman Brandon Phillips went 0-for-4, ending his hitting streak at 22 games. It was the longest streak in the NL this season and the longest by a Reds batter since 1996, when Hal Morris hit in 29 straight.

The Nationals got up 6-0 in the second inning, but their usually dependable bullpen let them down. By the time Valentin came to bat, the Reds were feeling pretty good.

“Javy is one of the better pinch hitters in baseball,” manager Jerry Narron said. “Every time he goes up there, you feel he has a chance to hit the ball out of the park. I feel pretty good with him coming up there.”

Rauch made a big mistake on a one-ball, two-strike pitch to Valentin.

“I wanted the pitch to Valentin down and away, and I left it over the middle,” Rauch said. “Of course, I’m down on myself. I’m not getting the job done.”

Diamondbacks 6, Rockies 5

Phoenix – Carlos Quentin homered twice and drove in a career-high five runs, and Arizona rallied to get the win.

Quentin, who entered hitting .189, drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning. Orlando Hudson led off with a triple against Jeremy Affeldt (1-1), and Mark Reynolds and Stephen Drew walked to load the bases for Quentin, who flied to deep center to make it 6-5.

Giants 4, Astros 0

San Francisco – Randy Winn extended his career-best hitting streak to 20 games, Ryan Klesko splashed his first homer as a Giant into the bay and Noah Lowry pitched seven shutout innings for San Francisco.

Klesko’s leadoff homer in the eighth was the 43rd splash hit by a Giants player and his second after also reaching McCovey Cove in 2003 with the San Diego Padres.

Brewers 9, Dodgers 5

Los Angeles – Prince Fielder hit two home runs and Rickie Weeks had a career-high four hits in his return to Milwaukee’s lineup to lead the Brewers past the Dodgers.

Weeks, who missed the previous four games because of a sore right wrist, hit safely his first four times up – including an RBI double in the third. Johnny Estrada added a solo homer for Milwaukee, which increased its lead in the NL Central to 61â2 games over Houston.