CINCINNATI -- If the Reds could have knocked out or outlasted Nationals ace Max Scherzer and get to their wobbly bullpen a little earlier, their chances on Sunday would have been much improved. But Scherzer had no interest in letting that happen.

Cincinnati hitters struck out 15 times over eight innings vs. Scherzer and were defeated, 4-1, to drop two of three in the series at Great American Ball Park.

• Box score

“I've never been around him, but he seems like a guy that is determined from pitch 1 to win the game, as simple as that,” Reds manager David Bell said. “He's going to do everything he can to get through the game if he can. You can tell he really loves to win. As good a stuff as anyone in the game.”

Scherzer didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning when Joey Votto lofted a double into left field against a shift. Votto scored on Derek Dietrich’s RBI double. Following a two-out walk by Josh VanMeter, Scherzer retired the next 10 batters in a row.

“He doesn’t walk guys. He’s aggressive,” said Reds rookie center fielder Nick Senzel, who was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. “I was happy that I didn’t swing at any stuff in the dirt. The first two at-bats kind of got away from the game plan a little bit. My at-bats weren’t terrible, but he elevates that heater. He’s got some ride to it. I’ll see him again, probably in D.C., so just a learning experience.”

In the bottom of the eighth, Tucker Barnhart hit a leadoff double but was left stranded. With two outs and Scherzer at 117 pitches, Nationals manager Dave Martinez visited the mound with Votto batting. Scherzer could be seen yelling, “no,” as Martinez approached and appeared to let him know in no uncertain terms that Votto was his batter and was allowed to continue.

It was understandable why Scherzer demonstratively wanted to finish the inning. The Nationals lost 10 of his previous 12 starts, in part, because their bullpen had an 11.71 ERA on days he pitched.

Scherzer struck out Votto on three pitches, including a called second strike that was close to being high and a called third strike that appeared to be outside. Votto argued briefly with umpire Eric Cooper to no avail.

"He's a really good hitter,” Scherzer said. “You really have to change your sequences. He can hit any pitch you throw. He really controls zone well. I was able to get the curveball over and was able to get a borderline call on the heater in and then just executed a fastball down and away to get a big strikeout."

Sean Doolittle took over from Scherzer and pitched the bottom of the ninth, retiring the side in order for his 12th save. It was the first time Cincinnati lost back-to-back games since May 12-14.

Add-on runs hurt Reds

The Reds were still in the game into the eighth inning and trailed by one run. Reliever David Hernandez allowed a one-out walk followed by a single. There were two outs when Bell called on Raisel Iglesias to shut down the rally and keep the game close.

Iglesias didn’t get it done as he walked first batter Kurt Suzuki to load the bases. Brian Dozier made him pay with a two-run single to right field that brought home both inherited runners.

“We're doing everything we can right there to keep it a one-run game and as good as Scherzer was, we were hopeful we could break through and get runs,” Bell said. “When it goes from 2-1 to 4-1 and he's still out there, it does change the game.”

It was only the second time this season that Iglesias was summoned to enter a game with a runner on base. On May 3 vs. the Giants, he inherited two runners with one scoring during a 12-11 loss.

Long first inning costs Gray pitches

Reds starter Sonny Gray pitched five innings and allowed two earned runs and five hits with one walk and four strikeouts while throwing 88 pitches. A long first inning proved costly besides Trea Turner hitting a leadoff double and scoring on an Anthony Rendon RBI single.

Gray needed 33 pitches to escape the top of the first inning with a combined 17 pitches being spent to strike out both second batter Gerardo Parra and fourth hitter Juan Soto.

“They had long at-bats, they battled. They fouled a lot of pitches off,” Gray said.

Washington made it a 2-0 game in the fourth inning when Suzuki hit a one-out RBI double to center field against Gray to score Soto.

“After the first, I needed to make a better pitch to Suzuki there,” Gray said. “He was throwing the ball well. I wanted to try leaving it at one [run down], especially after the first. But I wasn’t able to do that.”

It was still a decent outing for Gray, who has a 2.45 ERA over his last four starts while team is 3-1 in those games.

“The first inning took a little bit out of him. To his credit, he bounced back and it wasn't easy for him,” Bell said. “He really settled down and was good for five.”