Harper, Zimmerman HRs send Nationals past Braves, 8-3, in 1st game

WASHINGTON—Bryce Harper is on a roll, Max Scherzer is no longer the lone effective starting pitcher and a former World Series winner has been welcomed into the bullpen.

After sputtering for much of the season, the Washington Nationals appear ready to make a serious move in the NL East.

Harper and Ryan Zimmerman hit consecutive homers to spark a fourrun fourth inning, and the surging Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 8-3 Tuesday in the opener of a split doubleheader.

Washington has won nine of 12— outscoring the opposition 84-38— to move four games over .500 (5854) for the first time since June 29. The Nationals are chasing firstplace Philadelphia and Atlanta in the NL East.

“We’ve been playing really well,” manager Dave Martinez said. “We’re swinging the bats a lot better. We starting to drive in runs not only just by hitting home runs, but by (using) the whole field and getting big hits.”

Zimmerman went 3 for 5 and Harper had two hits and two RBIs. In his last eight games, Harper is 13 for 28 with two homers and eight RBIs.

Rookie right-hander Jefry Rodriguez (1-1) allowed one run and three hits in five innings to earn his first major victory. He also got his first big league hit and scored a run.

Maybe this streaky play is contagious. Greg Holland, who went 0-2 with a 7.29 ERA with St. Louis, struck out the side during a scoreless seventh inning in his Nationals debut.

Holland, who starred for Kansas City in the 2014 World Series, was signed Tuesday morning as a free agent.

The Braves had won five of six before running into the Washington buzz saw. Charlie Culberson homered for Atlanta, and Nick Markakis contributed two hits and an RBI.

Harper led off the fourth with his 27th home run, and Zimmerman followed a drive far over the center-field wall for a 2-1 lead. After Rodriguez doubled with two outs, Trea Turner and Juan Soto hit RBI singles.