WASHINGTON -- Josh Smith began his minor league career in 2010 in Billings, Montana and finally made it to the majors last year with Cincinnati.

But he posted a 6.89 ERA and was 0-4 in nine games and seven starts while with the Reds, who committed to make him a full-time reliever this year.

Smith, 28, a product of small school Lipscomb, got some justification late Saturday night as he earned the first win of his big league career as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Washington Nationals 9-4 in 10 innings. A right-hander from Florida, Smith retired four batters -- including three in the ninth -- without allowing a hit as he lowered his ERA to 3.98.

So what will happen to the baseball from his first win?

"I will probably give it to my dad. He already texted me and said he wants it," said Smith (1-1), standing by his locker after a game that lasted three hours and 35 minutes. "I was trying to do more than I was capable of" last year.

Tucker Barnhart had an RBI single -- his third hit of the game -- to break a tie in the top of the 10th inning as the Cincinnati Reds scored five times in the extra frame to beat the National League East leaders. Washington had won six in a row but was held to three hits.

"I am happy for Tucker," said Bryan Price, the Reds' manager. The catcher also got the first steal of his big league career in his 161st game, in the third inning while speedy Billy Hamilton was on third.

Smith and Barnhart were teammates at Billings of the Pioneer League in 2010.

"It is probably fitting that Tucker got that hit in the 10th inning," Smith said. "It means a lot. It is definitely a monkey off my back. It is nice to get that first one."

Smith got his first win in his 13th outing out of the bullpen this year.

"It is huge for a guy who has had a lot of time in the minor leagues," Price said. "He has created a situation where he is a guy who can be trusted" late in games.

The last-place Reds (30-52), who had had lost five in a row, loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the 10th as Eugenio Suarez and Brandon Phillips had singles. Hamilton reached on a sacrifice bunt after first baseman Ryan Zimmerman bobbled the ball.

Barnhart then singled with the bases loaded to drive in a run and Phillips also scored when right fielder Bryce Harper misplayed the ball. The Reds made it 7-4 when Hamilton scored on a wild pitch by Matt Belisle. Jose Peraza had an RBI single to build the lead to 8-4 and Jay Bruce drove in a run on a groundout to make it 9-4.

"That's something that's rare for us," Washington manager Dusty Baker said of the errors. "I think that was Harp's first error of the year and Zim's second error of the year; they're usually sure-handed guys. These things happen, they don't happen to us much, but especially to those guys who committed one error between them. It's something we have to write off. We were fortunate to be in that game, really."

Trailing 4-1, Washington's Danny Espinosa had a two-run homer in the eighth and Harper tied the game later in the frame with an RBI single off reliever Blake Wood.

Reds starter Dan Straily allowed two runs and two hits in seven innings. In his previous start, he allowed a career-high nine hits and career-worst seven runs in 3 2/3 innings against the Chicago Cubs on Monday.

Washington right-hander Joe Ross gave up 10 hits and four runs in 5 1/3 innings. It could have been worse but Washington center fielder Ben Revere robbed Bruce of extra bases with a leaping catch at the wall in center to end the sixth with two runners on base and reliever Felipe Rivero on the mound.

"They were banging us pretty good, especially early," Baker said of Ross. "We went to get him because we noticed, the one good thing about the radar gun is you can see when a guy's velocity is going down."

Zack Cozart also had three hits for the Reds and Adam Duvall and Phillips had two apiece.

Sammy Solis (1-3) was tagged with the loss. The first-place Nationals (49-33) are 4-3 in extra-inning games this year while the Reds are 3-6.

"It doesn't seem to go as easy as you hope," Price, with a smile, said of the rare win.

NOTES: Reds 1B Joey Votto was a late scratch from the starting lineup because of a sore right shoulder. He is day-to-day, said manager Bryan Price. Adam Duvall got the start. ... Reds LHP John Lamb (1-4, 4.60 ERA) will face Washington RHP Stephen Strasburg (10-0, 2.90) or RHP Lucas Giolito (0-0, 0.00) in the series finale on Sunday. Washington manager Dusty Baker said before Saturday's game that the Sunday starter "might be a game-time decision." ... The Nationals have five walk-off wins this year and Saturday's loss halted a streak of nine straight extra-inning home wins, the most recent coming Friday on a 14th-inning, RBI double by CF Ben Revere. ... Reds RHP Raisel Iglesias had allowed only one run in his last 7 1/3 innings after 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief on Friday against the Nationals. ... The Nationals entered Saturday with a six-game winning streak since a seven-game losing skid ended June 26 in Milwaukee. ... The Reds' bullpen had a 4.77 ERA in June, the worst in the majors.