The Washington Nationals, finally free of their losing streak, will look to earn a split of their four-game road series against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday.
After dropping the first two games — and extending their skid to a season-worst seven games — the Nationals rallied for a 5-4 win on Wednesday night.
Washington will send right-hander Trevor Williams (2-4, 5.88 ERA) to face Atlanta right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver (2-2, 2.76) in the finale.
Williams will be looking to rebound after three subpar outings in which he posted a 1-2 record and a 7.02 ERA. Last time out, he took a loss against the St. Louis Cardinals, giving up four runs on seven hits in six innings on Saturday.
“The big thing with Trevor, he walked a batter and hit a guy (in a four-run second) and that’s when things started happening,” manager Dave Martinez said. “He didn’t do that after that. He kind of settled down, he got outs, he got the ball on the ground. He gave us six innings, which was awesome.”
Williams, 33, is 3-1 with a 3.26 ERA in 11 career games, seven of them starts, against Atlanta.
Smith-Shawver, 22, has been stellar this season. He has given up two runs or fewer in five of his six starts, including eight scoreless innings of one-hit ball against the Cincinnati Reds on May 5. In his latest start, he allowed a run on five hits in 5 2/3 innings of a no-decision against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.
“I think if I keep the right mindset and keep myself in the right head space and go about it the right way, I think that’s when the results are the best,” Smith-Shawver said.
He tossed 5 1/3 innings and permitted only two runs, both unearned, in his only previous start against Washington, a no-decision in June 2023.
On Wednesday night, Atlanta starter Bryce Elder departed with a 4-1 lead, but the Braves’ bullpen couldn’t hold it. Washington rallied for two runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth.
James Wood doubled home the go-ahead run for the Nationals, whose seven-game skid was the team’s longest since nine-game stretch from July 7-16, 2022.
“That win was great,” Martinez said. “Put one on the board for the good guys, how’s that? The boys played well. We’re playing baseball. It’s fun to watch these guys come out and compete. … It was a good team effort today.”
Washington’s CJ Abrams had two hits and two walks, and closer Kyle Finnegan recovered from allowing a leadoff single in the ninth to record his 13th save.
The Nationals won despite having three runners thrown out on the bases.
Atlanta’s Stuart Fairchild went 2-for-3 with an RBI double, a walk, two runs and a stolen base. He snapped an 0-for-18 skid dating to April 10 and added two outfield assists.
The Braves have scored five runs or fewer in each of their past 14 games — 11 of which were decided by one run. Atlanta has gone 7-7 while averaging 3.1 runs per game during the stretch.
Injured Braves right-handed starter Spencer Strider (hamstring) threw 65 pitches in a simulated game Wednesday in Atlanta. He could make a minor league rehab start or even join the major league rotation next week in Washington.
“We’re all going to meet and figure out what we’re going to do next,” pitching coach Rick Kranitz said.
–Field Level Media
