Erick Fedde battles in Nationals’ 5-2 win over Reds in Great American Ball Park...

Erick Fedde gave up a run on four hits in five innings in his first start of the season, after he pitched out of the bullpen in five appearances for Washington, and the Nationals’ 2014 1st Round pick followed up on that outing with five scoreless innings on the mound in start No. 2, an 83-pitch outing in which he gave up four hits and three walks, but no runs.

Fedde told reporters after his second start that he’s just going out there and trying to make it hard for the Nationals to take him out of a role on the big league roster.

“My job here is just to make it as tough for them to send me down, and whether they want me in the rotation or the ‘pen, I’m happy just to help this team to get some wins,” he said.

Nats’ skipper Davey Martinez talked like Fedde wasn’t going anywhere as long as he kept it up.

“We’ve got to keep him going now,” Martinez said. “He did exactly what we needed him to do today, and he’s pitching really well. He’s using all his pitches well. His two-seamer is really, really effective right now, which I like. Plus he’s throwing his changeup. His curveball and sliders are good, so he needs to stay right there and he’ll be back out there in the next five days.”

Fedde took the mound in Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park on Saturday afternoon and worked into and out of trouble in each of the first three innings, limiting the Reds to a run (on a safety squeeze in the second) with inning-ending double plays in both the first and third innings getting the Nats’ starter out of trouble early, though he was up to 70 pitches after three.

Fedde gave up a solo home run by the opposing pitcher, Tanner Roark, in the fourth, and he was done for the day after giving up a leadoff single in the fifth, though the runner was then stranded...

Erick Fedde’s Line: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 Ks, 1 HR, 85 P, 47 S, 7/2 GO/FO.

Nationals homer their way to 5-2 win over Reds in GABP:

Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images

LINK: Nationals win, 5-2, set up rubber match with Reds

“We had the runners on early, didn’t come up with the hits,” Reds’ skipper David Bell said after what ended up a 5-2 loss.

“[Fedde] made the pitches, however you want to look at it, and that was the difference, and he was able to settle down a little bit, but we did have the opportunities.”

“Let me tell you about Fedde,” Nationals’ manager Davey Martinez said.

“He had his struggles but he maintained his composure and poise and gave us all he had.

“He had a lot of pitches and a lot of stressful innings, but he went out there and took the ball and that only shows me that he’s maturing and getting a lot better up here [points to head] which is great.”