FALTERS
“It looked like Anibal was going to have one of his games starting out,” Snitker said. “He was sharp as can be. We just had a hard time getting a hold of Gio. That was the biggest thing. We couldn’t do anything with him.”
Sanchez was replaced by Wes Parsons (0-1), who yielded a bases-loaded walk WR -XDQ 6RWR DQG D VDFUL¿FH À\ E\ $QWKRQ\ 5HQGRQ DV Washington went ahead in the third.
Taylor homered to left in the fourth to bump Washington’s lead to 3-1, and Daniel Murphy added an 5%, GRXEOH LQ WKH VL[WK
%XW 3DUVRQV ZRUNHG ¿YH innings in his major league debut, vital for a team that had two starters last only two innings during the series in Washington and heads home to face Milwaukee after a 5-3 road trip.
“A winning road trip, you take that every single time,” VDLG $WODQWD ¿UVW EDVHPDQ Freddie Freeman, who had three hits. “Sometimes, you have to lose a battle to win the war. I thought what Wes Parsons did was absolutely huge for this ballclub. That’s going to win us games later on with a fresh bullpen.”
5RQDOG $FXQD -U ¶V RQH out homer in the eighth pulled Atlanta within two runs, but the Nationals got 5%,V IURP 5\DQ =LPPHUPDQ DQG 0DUN 5H\QROGV LQ WKH bottom of the inning to make it 6-2.
Washington went 7-3 on its homestand and begins a seven-game trip to face the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis.
“It was big, a big win for us,” manager Dave Martinez VDLG ³+DSS\ ÀLJKW ´ HARPER SCRATCHED Washington outfielder %U\FH +DUSHU ZDV VFUDWFKHG from the lineup with right knee soreness. Atlanta reliever Dan Winkler hit Harper just below the right knee in the seventh inning on Wednesday night. Martinez said X-rays on Harper were negative.
DOUBLE DEBUT Parsons and Adam McCreery both made their major league debuts for Atlanta, combining to pitch WKH ODVW VL[ LQQLQJV ,W ZDV WKH ¿UVW WLPH WKH %UDYHV KDG two pitchers debut in the same game since June 30,
ZKHQ -DNH %ULJKDP DQG 5\DQ .HOO\ GLG VR against Washington.
TRAINER’S ROOM Braves: % -RKDQ &DPDUgo was out of the starting OLQHXS IRU WKH ¿UVW WLPH VLQFH July 14. He struck out as a pinch hitter to end the game. &KDUOLH &XOEHUVRQ ¿OOHG LQ at third for Camargo.
Nationals: Martinez said 5+3 6WHSKHQ 6WUDVEXUJ (cervical nerve impingement) will throw at least one more bullpen session before the team decides whether he is ready for a minor league rehabilitation start. Strasburg has not pitched for Washington since July 20.
UP NEXT Braves: 5+3 .HYLQ *DXVPDQ (5$ PDNHV his second start since his DFTXLVLWLRQ IURP %DOWLPRUH as Atlanta returns home to open a three-game series with Milwaukee.
Nationals: Washington begins a three-game series in Chicago against the Cubs ZLWK 5+3 -HUHP\ +HOOLFNVRQ (5-2, 3.56) getting the nod.