Olson, Strider lead Braves to 11-3 win over Nationals
Matt Olson went 4-for-5, blasting a three-run homer, while Spencer Strider gave up just one run over seven innings as the Braves defeated the Nationals 11-3 on Monday night.
Olson hit a home run for the third consecutive game, tallying three extra-base hits and driving in four runs for his second four-hit game of the season. Drake Baldwin added three hits and matched him with four RBIs.
Strider moved to 6-13 on the season after taking the loss in five of his last six starts. He gave up four hits and two walks with six strikeouts. After struggling to log strikeouts through most of August, Strider has 14 in his last 13 frames.
Olson’s fifth-inning blast over the right-field wall stretched the Braves’ lead to 5-1. In the seventh, his double down the left-field line brought home Nacho Alvarez Jr., pushing the lead to 7-1.
The Braves have won back-to-back games following four straight losses.
Rookie Daylen Lile hit his sixth home run of the season to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead. Lile has reached safely in 15 straight games.
Washington scored two runs in the eighth after entering the inning without a hit since Paul DeJong’s single in the fourth.
Mitchell Parker (8-16) allowed six runs and 10 hits in five innings.
Key moment
The Nationals had the bases loaded in the fourth, but the Braves ended the threat with a double play. Baldwin fielded a dribbler, tagged home and then threw out Dylan Crews at first.
Key stat
After hitting just one homer over a 34-game stretch from July 21 through Aug. 26, Olson has seven home runs in his last 18 games. Olson, who hit his 26th of the season, has hit at least 25 homers in each of his four seasons with Atlanta.
Up next
Washington RHP Jake Irvin (8-12, 5.70 ERA) is scheduled to make his seventh career start against Atlanta in Game 1 of a doubleheader, while the Braves have not announced a starter. Game 2 will feature Washington LHP MacKenzie Gore (5-14, 4.14) against LHP Chris Sale (5-5, 2.52).
Associated Press reports were used in this article.
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