Travis d’Arnaud, Marcell Ozuna, Adam Duvall, Dansby Swanson and Michael Harris II homered as the Atlanta Braves earned their 12th consecutive win, beating the host Washington Nationals 9-5 on Monday.
However, the Braves’ victory was costly, as starting second baseman Ozzie Albies fractured his left foot during a fifth-inning swing that resulted in a groundout to shortstop. Albies, a two-time All-Star who fell down after his swing and hopped on one foot into the dugout, was replaced by Orlando Arcia.
Swanson went 2-for-5 with four RBIs and a run, while Ozuna went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs.
For the Nationals, Lane Thomas finished 2-for-4 with a homer, two RBIs and two runs, while Nelson Cruz and Yadiel Hernandez each had two hits and drove in a run.
After the Braves jumped out to a 1-0 lead on d’Arnaud’s homer in the second, Swanson made it 3-0 later in the inning when his single scored Ozuna and Duvall.
In the third inning with one out, Albies walked before Ozuna blasted a two-out, two-run shot to left off right-hander Erasmo Ramirez (1-1). Duvall followed with a solo homer four pitches later for a 6-0 lead.
After Ramirez struck out Harris to retire the side, he was replaced by Steve Cishek to open the fourth.
Ramirez, who started in place of Josiah Gray due to the game’s start being pushed by a 93-minute rain delay, allowed six runs on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks in three innings.
The Nationals got on the scoreboard in the fourth on Hernandez’s two-out RBI single to center off Braves starter Ian Anderson.
After Washington pulled within 6-2 in the fifth after Thomas’ single scored Luis Garcia, who had led off with a double, the Nationals loaded the bases when Hernandez singled and Juan Soto walked.
Anderson was pulled in favor of Dylan Lee (1-0), who gave up a run-scoring single to Cruz and an RBI groundout to Bell that made it 6-4. Lee escaped further trouble, stranding runners on second and third.
Anderson allowed four runs on six hits with three strikeouts and four walks in four-plus innings.
Swanson’s two-run blast to center in the sixth off Jordan Weems made it 8-4 before Thomas countered for Washington with a solo shot in the bottom of the frame.
Harris capped the scoring in the eighth with the first home run of his 16-game major league career.
–Field Level Media
