But the Nationals later turned in a revised lineup about 90 minutes prior to game time that listed Harper batting third in the series finale against the Atlanta Braves.
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On the latest in a string of blazing hot August days, Tanner Roark battled the conditions – 96 degrees at first pitch, with a heat index of 107 – and churned out seven innings of one-run ball. Ben Revere followed that with a useful sacrifice bunt but Anthony Recker threw wildly allowing Turner to score and Revere to go to second.
Harper then made his first plate appearance in more than a week and laced a double to left that scored Revere. Harper advanced to third on a groundout by Wilson Ramos and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Anthony Rendon to put Jenkins and the Braves in an early 3-0 hole.
“WASHINGTON “ Braves rookie Tyrell Jenkins gave up seven runs without making it out of the fifth inning Sunday, and this time there was no thin air as a contributing factor. Jenkins walked the leadoff hitter in that inning, a crucial mistake compounded by the fact that leadoff hitter was pitcher Tanner Roark. But he found extended trouble in the fifth, and Rendon chased him with a home run to left into the Braves bullpen to give Washington a 7-1 lead.
Washington was 3-2 without Harper.
Roark (13-6) scattered five hits while yielding one run to the Braves.
Ramos’ RBI single in the seventh and Chris Heisey’s solo homer in the eighth put a final stamp on the blowout victory and a 5-3 homestand for the Nationals, who are now a season-best 22 games over.500.
“The Braves lost the last two games of the series after winning Friday”s opener, and finished 5-5 on a three-city trip that included a series win at St. Louis and a four-game split at Milwaukee.
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The Braves will enjoy an off day on Monday before opening a six-game home stand on Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins.
