WASHINGTON (AP) Keibert Ruiz homered as part of a seven-run fourth inning and the Washington Nationals defeated the Atlanta Braves 8-5 on Sunday, spoiling the major league debut of Hurston Waldrep.
CJ Abrams drove in three runs for Washington, which won the last three of four from Atlanta and improved to 6-2 this season against the Braves.
āThis group is fun, they play with a lot of energy and it showed in this last series,ā Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. āSeventeen games in a row without a day off, theyāre going out and battling and grinding. These last few games were amazing.ā
Atlanta has dropped four of five and at 35-28 is nine games behind Philadelphia in the NL East. It is the first time the Braves are as few as seven games over .500 since being 12-5 on April 17.
Waldrep, the Bravesā first-round pick in the 2023 draft who was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett earlier Sunday, was undeterred by a 35-minute weather delay at the start. The 22-year-old right-hander breezed through three innings without allowing a hit. He is the fourth member of last yearās draft class to reach the majors and the second pitcher - along with Pittsburghās Paul Skenes - to do so.
He was on the verge of escaping a two-on, one-out jam before Luis GarcĆa Jr. poked an RBI single to left. Ruiz then smacked a first-pitch fastball for a three-run homer into the Nationalsā bullpen, where reliever Jacob Barnes caught it between warmup pitches.
āI feel a lot better at home plate than when I came back (from) the flu (in late April),ā said Ruiz, who added a sacrifice fly in the fifth and is hitting .291 over his last 16 games, raising his average from .157 to .202. āI feel like Iām hitting the ball better.ā
Waldrep (0-1) sandwiched two walks around a single to load the bases before ending his outing. Abrams hit reliever Aaron Bummerās first pitch into the right-field corner, scoring three runs and making it 7-2.
Waldrep surrendered seven runs in 3 2/3 innings.
āIt started out really good and baseball happened,ā Waldrep said. āI got some unlucky breaks and also gave up some hits I didnāt need to give up and missed some pitches, walked some guys. It is what it is. Itās part of the game.ā
The seven runs scored were the most in an inning for Washington since it had eight in the sixth inning at Kansas City on May 26, 2023.
Barnes (3-2) pitched a scoreless inning to earn the victory. Kyle Finnegan recorded the final three outs for his 18th save in 20 attempts after Jarred Kelenicās three-run homer off Jordan Weems in the ninth pulled the Braves within three.
Atlantaās Michael Harris II opened the scoring with an RBI single in the second before Washington starter DJ Herzās struggled with is command. Orlando Arcia walked on four pitches, and Herzās first pitch to Kelenic was up and in, but grazed Kelenicās bat. Kelenic took exception when Herz buzzed his head later in the at-bat. Herzās next throw was his second wild pitch of the inning, allowing Travis dāArnaud to score.
Herz allowed two runs in 4 1/3 innings in his second major league start.
TRAINERāS ROOM
Braves: Atlanta optioned RHP Daysbel HernƔndez to Gwinnett and transferred OF Ronald AcuƱa Jr. (torn ACL) to the 60-day injured list to make room for Waldrep.
Nationals: RHP Josiah Gray (forearm flexor strain) allowed three runs in three innings Sunday for Class-A Fredericksburg. Gray struck out two and walked one in the outing, his first since he was placed on the injured list April 9.
UP NEXT
Braves: Atlanta is off Monday. LHP Max Fried (6-2, 2.93 ERA) will start the first of a three-game series Tuesday at Baltimore.
Nationals: Washington is also off Monday. The Nationals will start LHP Mitchell Parker (4-3, 3.47) when they begin a three-game series Tuesday at Detroit.
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