Max Scherzer beat Atlanta for the fourth time this season, rookie Trea Turner had four hits, including a two-run homer, and the Nationals improved to 29-7 against the Braves since 2015 with a 7-2 victory Friday night.
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“Aside from the two balls that left the yard, I feel good about most of my stuff”, Collmenter said.
Gonzalez, who is 11-9 with a 4.27 ERA, has allowed three earned runs or less in 11 of his past 13 outings going into Saturday’s start against the Atlanta Braves in the Nationals’ next-to-last game at Turner Field. Washington are 7-1 in the last 8 meetings in Atlanta and the over is 13-3-1 in the last 17 meetings.
Collmenter had four starts at Triple-A Iowa before the trade. He is filling for Mike Foltynewicz, who was hit in the left calf by a line drive on Monday. He went a cool 4 for 5 with a home run, a double, four runs scored, two RBIs and two stolen bases in the game, but he struck out once and committed an error in the field (just his third all season), so he wasn’t technically flawless.
The Nationals took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Rendon’s two-run single and went up 5-0 in the second on Turner’s ninth homer and Murphy’s RBI double.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever done this in my entire life with this much power in such a short time”, said Turner, who is hitting.356 with 11 homers and 27 stolen bases in 59 games.
Atlanta continued its run of surprisingly competent offensive output, collecting a total of 12 hits over six and two-thirds before rain cut the game short. And Gordon Beckham walked with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth to score another run. The Braves have scored six runs against him twice in a span of 12 days, after totaling eight hits and six runs in three innings September 6 at Washington in a game the Nationals still won, 9-7.
Washington manager Dusty Baker returned after a one-game absence due a death in his family. Ross allowed six hits and one run over three innings while striking out five. “Some were by just inches”, Gonzalez said.
Scherzer correctly points out one of the most important things Turner has brought to Washington – a valuable leadoff hitter. “You want to show you can pitch in this rotation, and it was the way today’s game went”. He’s 4-8 with a 4.70 ERA in 16 career starts against Atlanta. They played their last game at Turner Field with the NL-worst Braves moving to a new ballpark next year.
Freeman has a 21-game hitting streak and has reached safely in 37 straight games. Both of Freeman’s streaks are the longest active streaks in the majors. Braves CF Ender Inciarte went 1 for 3 and leads the majors with 88 hits since the All-Star break.
Braves RHP Jose Ramirez filed an appeal after receiving a three-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for throwing a pitch near the head of Marlins starting pitcher Jose Fernandez on Wednesday.
Ross made three minor league rehab starts and then threw a simulated game of about 60 pitches last Sunday.
Nationals phenom and Braves pest Trea Turner interrupted right-hander Matt Wisler’s strong start before a rain delay ended it. The 23-year-old had been on the disabled list since early July with shoulder inflammation.
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Ross, 23, was 7-4 with a 3.49 ERA in 16 starts before going on the disabled list and the Nationals would like nothing better than to have him built back up enough to be a starter in the playoffs.
