Big eighth inning helps Nationals beat Braves
ATLANTA -- Thanks to a meltdown by the Atlanta bullpen, Washington Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez got a rare victory Wednesday night over the Braves.
The Nationals scored six runs in the eighth inning to get Gonzalez off the hook for a potential hard-luck loss, and Washington defeated the Braves 7-3.
Gonzalez (15-7) allowed just three hits over seven innings, but included were homers by Freddie Freeman and Kurt Suzuki that put Atlanta up 2-1.
Everything fell apart for Braves bullpen, though, and Gonzalez, who was lifted for a pinch hitter in the big eighth inning, was the beneficiary as he beat Atlanta for just the fifth time in 16 career decisions.
Jose Ramirez (2-3) loaded the bases in the eighth on two hits and a walk, and then Arodys Vizcaino walked in three runs, twice issuing four-pitch walks. Adam Lind had a two-run single, and Michael A. Taylor drove in the final run of the inning with a single, both off Rex Brothers.
Gonzalez, who has a 2.68 ERA, hadn't beaten the Braves since September 2015, losing once in 2016 and twice this year. He struck out eight and walked one.
Trea Turner hit a homer and a double for the Nationals, while Taylor had three singles.
The Braves had three solo homers in the game. Jace Peterson connected off reliever Matt Albers in the eighth inning.
Braves rookie Lucas Sims gave up a homer to Turner on the first pitch of the game, but allowed just two hits and no runs over the rest of his five-inning outing.
Sims, who had made four relief appearances after seven starts, was pulled after 74 pitches. He struck out six and walked two, one intentionally.
Turner pulled Sims' first pitch to start the game into the Nationals' bullpen for his 10th homer of the season.
Freeman matched it in the bottom of the first, picking on a 1-1 changeup and smashing a no-doubt blast over the right field wall for his 28th homer of the year.
Sims walked Gonzalez to load the bases with two outs in the fifth but got Turner to bounce into a threat-ending forceout.
Suzuki put the Braves ahead in the bottom of the inning. Suzuki, like Freeman, wasn't fooled by a changeup and pulled a 2-2 pitch to left field for his 16th homer of the season.
NOTES: Braves CF Ender Inciarte, 10 hits short of 200, didn't play due to a sore left thumb after leaving in the fourth inning the previous night. ... 2B Daniel Murphy returned to the Nationals' lineup after being a late scratch Tuesday because of a tight hamstring. He was 1-for-4 with a double and a bases-loaded walk. ... Nationals RF Bryce Harper, who hurt a knee Aug. 12, took early batting practice on the field after a simulated game Tuesday. "He's on a crash course to come back as soon as possible," manager Dusty Baker said. ... Braves 2B Ozzie Albies left the game after being hit on the leg by a pitch in the eighth inning. ... RHP Tanner Roark (13-9, 4.43 ERA) will start Thursday's series finale for the Nationals against RHP R.A. Dickey (9-10, 4.41 ERA) of the Braves. ... C Tyler Flowers, sidelined a week because of a bruised left wrist, is slated to return to catch Dickey.