Michael Harris II hit two home runs, Matt Olson smacked a three-run shot and the Atlanta Braves rallied from an early three-run deficit to claim an 8-6 win against the host Washington Nationals on Wednesday night.
The seventh multi-homer game of Harris’ career helped Atlanta manager Walt Weiss earn his 300th victory. Drake Baldwin homered for the second straight game for the Braves, who have earned at least a split of the four-game series.
Dylan Lee (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning for the win. Robert Suarez pitched the ninth for his second save. After walking 12 batters on Tuesday night, Braves pitchers issued only three free passes.
James Wood homered for the second straight game for Washington. Daylen Lile hit a three-run homer and Joey Wiemer had a pinch-hit solo shot.
Washington starter Zack Littell (0-3) allowed eight runs (six earned) on seven hits over six innings.
The Braves started in on Littell early as Baldwin homered to right center in the first to make it 1-0.
Washington jumped in front with a four-run first against Atlanta starter Didier Fuentes, who lasted just three innings while allowing seven hits and four runs.
Wood and Luis Garcia, Jr. opened the first with singles and, after two strikeouts, Lile delivered a homer to center. Jacob Young singled and scored when Jorbit Vivas doubled to right.
The Braves came right back. Ozzie Albies reached on a Vivas error and Harris homered to right. Mike Yastrzemski singled, went to third on a single by Jonah Heim and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ronald Acuna, Jr.
Harris struck again in the third as his solo shot gave the Braves a 5-4 lead.
Atlanta broke it open in the fourth. Heim and Acuna drew one-out walks and, with two outs, Olson homered to right to make it 8-4.
The Nationals cut the deficit in half in the sixth on solo homers by pinch-hitter Wiemer and Wood, whose 413-foot shot was his National League-leading ninth of the season.
Washington got the tying runs on with two outs in the eighth, but Tyler Kinley struck out Curtis Mead.
–Field Level Media
