Zimmerman, Strasburg power Nats to 3-game sweep of Braves
ATLANTA » Ryan Zimmerman has faced R.A. Dickey enough to know what to expect from his knuckleball.
“I don’t want to say it’s comfortable because when he’s got a good one going it’s not easy,” he said. “Having faced him a few times before, you at least know what to expect.”
Zimmerman hit a two-run homer, Stephen Strasburg struck out 10 and the Washington Nationals completed a three-game sweep with a 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night.
A night after they had 14 runs on 20 hits, the Nationals couldn’t solve Dickey until Zimmerman homered in the sixth to erase a 2-1 deficit.
Strasburg (2-0) allowed two runs, six hits and two walks in seven innings, winning his first start at SunTrust Park after going 4-3 with a 4.37 ERA in 10 outings at Turner Field. With the win, Strasburg earned his 71st career victory, the most in Nationals history.
Shawn Kelley had an eventful ninth before earning his second save in three tries. He retired the first two batters before Kurt Suzuki singled and pinch-hitter Tyler Flowers walked. Ender Inciarte followed with a game-ending flyout.
Atlanta went 4-3 on its first homestand at its new ballpark, where it opened by sweeping a four-game series from San Diego.
Dickey (1-2) gave up three runs and three hits in seven innings.
Zimmerman, who has hit safely in 12 of 15 games, doubled to begin the second and scored on Michael Taylor’s sacrifice fly, then hit his fifth homer.
“A knuckleball is going to do what it does, and I have to own that one to Zimmerman,” Dickey said. “It was a bad pitch, but I didn’t make many of them tonight. I felt like I could have pitched all night.”
Dickey hit an RBI grounder in the second, and Kurt Suzuki had a sacrifice fly in the fourth.
The Nationals have won 18 of the last 22 games in the series and 10 of the last 13 games in Atlanta. RED SOX 4, BLUE JAYTS 1 » Chris Sale struck out 13 over eight shutout innings, Mookie Betts hit a three-run double in the 10th and Boston beat struggling Toronto.
At 3-12, Toronto is off to the worst start in team history and has lost its first five series for the first time.
Sandy Leon drew a one-out walk from Jason Grilli (0-2), Brock Holt singled to stop an 0-for-12 slide, Andrew Benintendi walked with two outs, and Betts pulled a 2-0 fastball down the left-field line. ASTROS 2, ANGELS 1 » Carlos Beltran hit his first home run this season and Jake Marisnick also homered.
Beltran’s shot came with one out and the first inning off Matt Shoemaker (0-1), and Marisnick’s second homer this season made it 2-0 in the fifth.
Lance McCullers (2-0) scattered three hits and struck out eight over 6 2/3 scoreless innings as Houston won for the seventh time in eight games. Chris Devenski allowed home run to Mike Trout starting the ninth inning and back-to-back singles with one out before fanning Cameron Maybin and Danny Espinosa for his first save. RAYS 8, TIGERS 1 » Steven Souza Jr. came within a single of hitting for the cycle, and Erasmo Ramirez (2-0), Chase Whitley and Tommy Hunter combined on a five-hitter as Tampa Bay Rays completed a three-game sweep.
Souza doubled in the first, hit a two-run triple in the second and added a solo homer in the eighth.
In the rotation because Jake Odorizzi strained his left hamstring, Ramirez allowed one run and two hits in five innings with five strikeouts and no walks. INDIANS 6, TWINS 2 » Trevor Bauer (1-2) struck out seven in 6.1 innings, giving up two runs, three hits and three walks, and Carlos Santana had two doubles and two RBIs.
Ervin Santana gave up one run, four hits and three walks over six innings for the Twins, who are 1-5 in a 10-game homestand.
Carlos Santana delivered another RBI double in the seventh inning, and Tyler Duffey (0-1) and Taylor Rogers each walked in a run with the bases loaded. ORIOLES 2, REDS 1» J.J. Hardy singled home the tiebreaking run off Blake Wood (0-2) in the 10th inning, and the Orioles took two of three in the series, leaving them 8-4 in interleague play against the Reds. Three pitchers limited Cincinnati to two hits for the second night in a row.
Darren O’Day (1-1) fanned two of the three batters he faced in the ninth. Brad Brach retired the side in the 10th for his second straight save, filling in while closer Zach Britton recovers from a sore forearm. PADRES 4, DIAMONDBACKS 1 » Clayton Richard pitched into the seventh inning and Wil Myers and Austin Hedges homered to lead San Diego to a 4-1 win over Arizona.
Richard (2-2) gave up a run on nine hits in 6 2/3 innings. The lefthander struck out a season-high eight to win for the first time in his last three starts.