Nationals 4, Braves 2
Ian Desmond singled in a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh to lift the Washington Nationals over the Atlanta Braves 4-2 on Sunday.
Mike Morse and Nyjer Morgan each added RBI singles for the Nationals, who took two of three from the stumbling Braves.
Knotted at 2-2 after Rick Ankiel’s RBI double in the top of the frame, Atlanta brought Kyle Farnsworth (3-2) in to start the bottom of the seventh. The right-hander recorded two quick outs before walking Willie Harris and Danny Espinosa. Johnny Venters then came on and walked Morgan to load the bases before Desmond sent his single into center field.
Livan Hernandez pitched six-plus innings, yielding to Sean Burnett after allowing back-to-back doubles to lead off the seventh. Burnett (1-7) struck out three in two scoreless frames to earn the win and Drew Storen worked the ninth for his fifth save.
The Nationals grabbed a 2-0 lead with RBI singles from Morse and Morgan in the first two frames, but the Braves chipped away, pulling within 2-1 on Ankiel’s solo blast in the fifth and drawing even when Ankiel doubled in Melky Cabrera in the top of the seventh.