Washington — John Smoltz couldn't have asked for better run support than he got Saturday from Jeff Francoeur. And to his credit, he did.

Feeling the effects of a head cold the night before, Smoltz had requested his buddy help him out by knocking in a few extra runs Saturday against the Nationals. Francoeur obliged with a career-high seven RBIs on two homers and a bases-loaded single to carry Smoltz and the Braves to a breezy 10-2 win.

"He rode me hard last year — the fact that I never gave him any run support when he was pitching," Francoeur said. "I think I was 0-for-4 every game, so I told him I'd come out and help him a little bit this year. I didn't expect that."

With a three-run shot against left-hander John Lannan and a two-run shot against right-hander Jason Bergmann, Francoeur put a pounding on the Nationals nobody has seen since Lassiter High school. And even in that mystical state championship game for Parkview in 2002, it took Francoeur two games to get seven RBIs.

"Maybe in T-ball," Francoeur said of the last time he had as many RBIs. "It was nice. It was one of those games you don't have too often."

He went 3-for-5 to break out of a 2-for-15 start to this road trip. He raised his batting average from .262 to .298 and atoned for a ninth inning at-bat Friday in which he struck out with the bases loaded.

"I was a little frustrated last night when I had that chance with the bases loaded, had an awful at-bat," said Francoeur, who almost tripled his RBI total for the season from four to 11. "I wanted to make sure I took care of business today."

His first inning homer and a 4-0 lead helped bring Smoltz to the plate before he'd even been to the mound.

"I don't know if I've ever batted in the first inning in my entire career before," Smoltz said. "...When we got four runs it was like the energy drink stuff."

Smoltz was much obliged, considering how much trouble he had falling asleep Friday night. He took cold medicine that made him feel wired and he slept only four hours.

"It was the worst feeling in the world knowing you've got to get up and you're seeing every minute of the clock," said Smoltz, who is 2-0 with an 0.82 ERA in two starts now. "That's why the first inning was huge. Frenchy was outstanding."

After waiting out a 90-minute rain delay, Smoltz came out smoking with a 96 mph fastball and seven consecutive strikes. He finished with five strikeouts to pull within 14 of 3,000 for his career.

Smoltz used the offensive jolt to energize him for six innings and 90 pitches. He allowed only one run on a Willie Harris triple, but by then the Braves were ahead 6-1.

Brian McCann soon got in on the act, following Francoeur's two-run homer with a solo shot in the sixth, giving the Braves their first back-to-back homers of the year.

"Been waiting for a breakout day by one of our guys with the long ball, get some runs on the board and cruise through a game occasionally," manager Bobby Cox said. "We've had so many tight ones most of the season so far."

The lead also gave Cox a chance to rest Chipper Jones, who came out of the game in the fourth inning. Jones is playing with two sore quadriceps muscles but said they were feeling better on Saturday.

"I got three rounds of treatment in today which was good," Jones said after the game. "Hopefully it'll keep getting better."

He said expects to be back in the lineup when the Braves go for a three-game sweep Sunday.