Dylan Crews homered and Mitchell Parker pitched into the sixth inning as the Washington Nationals beat the visiting Atlanta Braves 5-3 on Tuesday night to notch their fourth straight win.
Parker (4-3) worked 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on six hits for the Nationals. He struck out four and walked one. Kyle Finnegan pitched the ninth to earn his 15th save.
Braves starter Spencer Strider (0-2), making his return after a trip to the injured list due to a right hamstring strain, allowed four runs on six hits over 4 1/3 innings and took the loss in his first start since April 16. He struck out three and walked one.
Matt Olson homered for Atlanta, which had won three of four games.
James Wood had two hits for Washington.
The Nationals jumped on Strider for three runs in the first. Wood singled with one out and Nathaniel Lowe singled him to third. Keibert Ruiz doubled down the right-field line, scoring Wood. Luis Garcia Jr. followed with an RBI single that left runners on first and third, then Ruiz scored on a wild pitch.
Olson homered to center leading off the second. Ozzie Albies, Eli White and Michael Harris II then hit consecutive doubles with one out to tie the score at 3.
Washington took a 4-3 lead in the bottom half when Crews homered to left with two outs.
Nasim Nunez made a sliding catch in center to rob White of a leadoff hit in the top of the seventh.
Jose Tena reached on a bunt single to start the bottom of the seventh. CJ Abrams singled with one out, then the runners moved to second and third when Dylan Lee balked. Wood walked to load the bases and Tena beat Alex Verdugo’s throw home when Lowe flied to left, increasing the lead to 5-3.
Stuart Fairchild singled off Jose A. Ferrer leading off the eighth, but Jorge Lopez came on and got Austin Riley to ground into a double play.
Nationals edge Braves to win 4th straight
By MLB Premium News
May 21, 2025 | 3:25 AM