Alex Verdugo’s single with one out in the ninth inning drove home the winning run to give the Atlanta Braves a 4-3 victory over the visiting Washington Nationals on Monday in the opener of a four-game series.
The Braves blew a two-run lead in the top of the ninth but rallied for their fourth walk-off win of the season. Eli White opened the inning with a sharp single off Jackson Rutledge (0-1) and was sacrificed to second.
Verdugo fought off seven straight sliders from reliever Andrew Chafin before lining a sinker into center field, easily scoring White.
The winning pitcher was Raisel Iglesias (3-3).
The Nationals tied the game with a pair of runs in the ninth against Iglesias, who blew his third save. With runners on second and third and two outs, Iglesias got the ground ball he needed but shortstop Nick Allen double-clutched and threw wildly past first baseman Matt Olson — his first error of the season — to allow both runners to score.
Marcell Ozuna had two hits, including a homer, and two RBIs for the Braves. James Wood went deep for the Nationals.
Neither starting pitcher figured into the decision. Atlanta’s Grant Holmes went 6 1/3 strong innings and allowed one run on four hits, one walk and four strikeouts. Washington’s Jake Irvin worked six innings and allowed three runs on seven hits, two walks and one strikeout.
The Braves scored twice in the third inning with a two-out rally. Ozuna and Michael Harris II both came up with run-scoring singles.
The Nationals cut the lead in half in the fourth inning. Wood hit a 413-foot solo homer to left field. It was the 11th homer for Wood, tying him for fourth in the National League.
Later that inning, Washington was robbed of a run when Harris banged against the center field fence and hung on to catch Luis Garcia Jr.’s long fly ball that likely would have scored Keibert Ruiz from first.
Ozuna put the Braves ahead 3-1 when he blasted a 464-foot solo home run — the third-longest in the majors this season — in the fifth inning. It was his first home run since April 26.
–Field Level Media
