Big hits elude Braves again in another loss to Nationals

WASHINGTON — Nick Senzel scored for the first time in nearly six weeks and drove in three runs, Eddie Rosario had three RBIs against his former team and the Washington Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 7-3 on Saturday.

Washington won back-to-back games for the first time since May 29-30, when it also beat the Braves on back-to-back days. The Nationals, who have lost the series to Atlanta the last six years, are 5-2 against Atlanta this season.

Sean Murphy scored for the Braves (35-27), who have lost three of their last four games to sit a season-high nine games behind the league-leading Philadelphia Phillies (45-19). National East, where Atlanta is located. the six-time reigning division champion.

The Nationals, third (29-35), are seven games behind the Braves in the standings.

Atlanta was 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position Saturday, falling to 2 for 17 in the first three games of the series, which ends Sunday afternoon.

“We had chances but we couldn’t get a big hit,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “When you do that, it’s one of those games where you have to turn the page.”

Senzel, who had three hits, helped drive in runs in each of his first three plate appearances. He led off the bottom of the second inning with a double against Charlie Morton (3-3) and scored on CJ Abrams’ two-out single, then drove in Luis García Jr. in the fourth to make it 4-0 .

Senzel followed Keibert Ruiz’s single to open the bottom of the sixth with a shot into the visitors’ bullpen against Dylan Lee that made it 7-2. It was Senzel’s first home run since April 28 in a road game against the Miami Marlins.

“Every at-bat was really good,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “He comes back and stays on his legs. He has life in his swing.”

Senzel is hitting .359 (14-for-39) over his last 13 games, with the third baseman increasing his season average from .196 to .243.

Rosario was a July 2021 trade deadline acquisition for the Braves and proved instrumental in their run to the World Series championship that year. He remained in Atlanta until signing with Washington in March. He hit a two-run double in the first inning Saturday, then added an RBI single in the fifth.

Washington starter MacKenzie Gore (5-5) survived a 27-pitch first inning to keep Atlanta scoreless until Ozzie Albies hit a two-out RBI double in the fifth. The left-hander gave up back-to-back singles to open the sixth before giving up to Derek Law, who allowed Marcell Ozuna to score on a two-out wild pitch. Ozuna went 2-for-4, the only Atlanta player with more than one hit.

Gore allowed two runs, six hits and one walk while striking out seven batters.

“We were just looking,” Gore said of his command. “I don’t know if it really came back. It was pretty good. It wasn’t as good today, but we did it.”

Murphy hit Law’s first pitch in the seventh over the center field wall for his first home run of the season. The receiver spent much of the first two months sidelined after suffering an injury in the first game.

Morton allowed five runs (four earned) in five innings while striking out three batters. The 40-year-old right-hander is 0-3 with a 5.84 ERA in his last five starts.

Braves outfielder Jarred Kelenic, who jammed his wrist while diving against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, returned to the lineup after a two-game absence.

In roster moves, Atlanta recalled right-handed pitcher Daysbel Hernández from Triple-A Gwinnett and placed right-hander Jimmy Herget on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Thursday.

In Sunday’s series finale, right-hander Hurston Waldrep, Atlanta’s first-round pick in the 2023 draft, will make his MLB debut. Washington counters with left-hander DJ Herz (0-0, 9.00 ERA), who allowed four runs in four innings Tuesday in his MLB debut.