Nick Senzel scores for first time since April 28 as Nationals beat Braves 7-3

Sean Murphy scored for the Braves, who lost three of four to fall a season-high nine games behind Philadelphia in the NL East standings. Atlanta was 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position, dropping it to 2 for 17 in the first three games of the series.

“We had opportunities but we couldn’t get a big hit,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “When you do it like 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 second with a double against Charlie Morton (3-3) and scored on CJ Abrams’ two-out single, then brought in Luis García Jr. in the fourth to make it 4-0.

The third baseman followed Keibert Ruiz’s single to open the sixth with a shot into the visitor’s bullpen off Dylan Lee to open a 7-2 lead. It was Senzel’s first home run since April 28 in Miami.

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

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

Rosario, a July 2021 trade deadline acquisition for Atlanta who played for the Braves until signing with Washington in March, had a two-run double in the first and 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’ 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.

Gore allowed two runs, six hits and one walk. He struck out seven.

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

Murphy hit Law’s first pitch in the seventh over the wall in center for his first home run of the season.

Morton allowed five runs – four earned – in five innings while striking out three. He is 0-3 with a 5.84 ERA in his last five starts.

Braves: OF Jarred Kelenic (wrist) returned to the lineup after a two-game absence. … Atlanta recalled RHP Daysbel Hernández from Triple-A Gwinnett and placed RHP Jimmy Herget on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Thursday.

RHP Hurston Waldrep, Atlanta’s first-round pick in the 2023 draft, makes his major league debut Sunday in the finale of the four-game series. Washington counters with LHP DJ Herz (0-0, 9.00 ERA), who allowed four runs in four innings Tuesday in his MLB debut.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb