Just one strike from defeat, Jonathan India won a 10-pitch encounter with Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan (0-1) by driving a double down the left-field line. Benson followed with a homer to left-center before Encarnacion-Strand ended an 0-for-12 slump with his solo shot.
Lucas Sims (1-0) pitched a perfect ninth for Cincinnati, which captured the rubber game of the series.
Jake Fraley and Benson each had three hits for the Reds, while Spencer Steer went 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Benson drove in three runs.
Rookie Trey Lipscomb broke a 3-3 tie with his first big league homer in the seventh inning after CJ Abrams hit a solo shot for the Nationals in the third.
Check out the game summary here.
Angels 4, Orioles 1
Taylor Ward hit his second home run in two days, Reid Detmers pitched five strong innings and visiting Los Angeles beat Baltimore to avert being swept in the three-game opening series.
Detmers (1-0) allowed a run on two hits. He struck out seven and walked three. Jose Soriano followed with three scoreless innings of relief and Carlos Estevez worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save of the season.
Tyler Wells (0-1) tossed six innings for the Orioles, allowing four runs - three earned - on five hits. He struck out seven without a walk. After struggling early, Wells retired the final 13 batters he faced.
Diamondbacks 5, Rockies 1
Brandon Pfaadt threw five effective innings in his first outing of the season, helping Arizona to a victory over Colorado in Phoenix.
The Diamondbacks offense collected just five hits, two coming from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Pfaadt (1-0) allowed five hits, one run, and no walks while striking out six. He also hit two batters.
Rockies starter Ryan Feltner (0-1) went five innings, charged with five runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts. He also hit a batter.
Phillies 5, Braves 4
Alec Bohm had two hits and two RBIs, Kyle Schwarber homered and singled and host Philadelphia salvaged a three-game series with a victory over Atlanta.
Trea Turner hit an RBI single for the Phillies, who were outscored 21-7 in the first two games of the set. Matt Strahm (1-0) earned the win in relief, and Jose Alvarado threw a scoreless ninth inning for his first save of the season.
Ozzie Albies hit a home run, singled and had three RBIs, and Austin Riley added two hits for the Braves. Atlanta starter Chris Sale gave up five hits and two runs to go along with seven strikeouts and two walks in 5 1/3 innings.
Brewers 4, Mets 1
Colin Rea combined with two relievers to scatter seven hits for visiting Milwaukee, which completed a season-opening three-game sweep of New York.
Rea (1-0) allowed one run on five hits and two walks while striking out two over five innings for the Brewers. Bryan Hudson struck out four over three innings of two-hit ball before Joel Payamps struck out one in a perfect ninth for his first save. Willy Adames had two hits, including the first-inning RBI single that gave the Brewers a lead they'd never relinquish.
Tyrone Taylor, who spent the first five seasons of his career with the Brewers, had an RBI single in the second for the Mets. Tylor Megill (0-1) took the loss after allowing two runs (one earned) over four innings while walking three and striking out four.
