ATLANTA (AP) – Yan Gomes put Washington ahead with a home run in the eighth inning, pitcher Jon Lester injected power into a weakened rotation and the Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 5-3 on Wednesday night.
With his home run between left and center field against AJ Minter (1-2) with two outs, the Brazilian Gomes broke the tie at 3 and helped the Nationals get their second consecutive victory over the Braves, who won the first of all four games in the series.
Juan Soto put Washington up 3-1 with a two-run homer in the fifth inning. Ozzie Albies tied the game for Atlanta with a two-run double in the seventh inning.
Soto’s homerun was his sixth of the season and second in two days.
Lester was the starter after a three-day break. Nationals manager Dave Martinez had asked him to take the team as far as possible. Lester came within one out of tying his longest start of the season. He conceded just one run, five hits and two walks in five two-thirds innings.
Washington required such a performance. Before the game, he placed right-hander Stephen Strasburg on the 10-day disabled list due to a sore neck. Strasburg was previously on the disabled list from April 15 to May 21 due to a swollen right shoulder.
Albies hit his double to Daniel Hudson (4-1), who took the victory. On the play, the Curaçao player drove in the Dominican Abraham Almonte and Freeman to tie the game. Hudson stayed on the mound and worked the eighth inning flawlessly.
Brad Hand finished the ninth inning and made his ninth save in 11 chances.
For the Nationals, the Dominicans Soto 3-1, one scored, two produced; Starlin Castro 4-1, an RBI, and Víctor Robles 3-0, a run scored. The Cuban Yadiel Hernández 1-0.
For the Braves, Venezuelans Ronald Acuña Jr. 4-0; Ehire Adrianza from 3-1; Pablo Sandoval 1-0 and William Contreras 1-0. Cuban Guillermo Heredia 4-1. The Dominican Almonte 1-1, one scored. The Panamanian Johan Camargo 1-0.
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