Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman: Ignites offense Thursday with first-inning blast

Zimmerman went 2-for-3 with a walk, three-run homer and scored twice in Thursday's 13-4 victory over the Reds.

Analysis:

Zimmerman got the rout started early with his 11th homer of the season coming with two outs in the first inning. It was a major blow to Reds' starter Brandon Finnegan, who was on the verge of escaping a jam, but instead allowed Zimmerman to ignite an offensive explosion by the Nationals. The home run was much-needed for the first baseman as he had a rough month, batting just .171 in June.