WASHINGTON – The Braves scored one or no runs in six of their past nine games before Tuesday, and averaged fewer than 2 ½ runs over their past 15 games.
So with the Nationals leading 4-0 after the first inning and Jordan Zimmermann on the mound, things looked bleak for the Bravos.
They at least made it interesting, Justin Upton’s two-run homer in the sixth inning pulling them to within 6-4, but the Nationals held on for a 6-4 win, handing the Braves their third consecutive loss and fourth in five games to start a nine-game trip.
Ervin Santana (14-8) got ambushed in the first inning and gave up eight hits, six runs (five earned) and four walks in five innings, losing for only the second time in 11 starts since the All-Star break.
After winning seven of their first eight games against the Nationals this season, the Braves have lost five of the past seven matchups including four in a row at Nationals Park. Washington extended its lead to nine games over the second-place Braves in the National League East with only 17 to go.
The Braves need to win Wednesday’s series finale to avoid being swept in the series. The teams play one more series next week at Turner Field, but the Braves’ previous idea of using this series and that one to reel in the Nationals have evaporated.
Though not technically eliminated from the NL East race, the Braves’ realistic shot at making the postseason is through one of the two wild-card berths. They were 1 ½ games behind Pittsburgh for the final wild-card spot before Tuesday, and the Braves have a day off Thursday before a three-game weekend series at Texas against a Rangers team with the majors’ worst record.
Phil Gosselin reached on an error to start the sixth inning, and one batter later Upton hit his 27th home run. But the Braves went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position, including two strikeouts by Upton. He whiffed with two in scoring position in the fourth inning, before the Braves got a run on Jason Heyward’s fielder’s choice and another on Chris Johnson’s RBI single.
The Braves trailed by two when Emilio Bonifacio doubled to start the eighth inning. After a Gosselin groundout, Freddie Freeman struck out against left-hander Ross Detwiler and and Upton struck out against Craig Stammen to end the inning.
Santana gave up five hits and a walk in the first inning, when the Nationals got a leadoff double from Denard Span and batted around against Santana in just 22 pitches. Included were consecutive singles by Bryce Harper and Wilson Ramos on first-pitch fastballs, followed by an Asdrubal Cabrera sacrifice fly on a first-pitch change-up.
The Nationals pushed the lead to 5-0 in the second with an unearned run that proved to be important, given the final score. They got it after Jayson Werth drew a two-out walk and advanced to third on a two-base throwing error by rookie catcher Christian Bethancourt, who attempted a seemingly ill-advised snap throw to first base to try to pick off Werth.
Freeman wasn’t looking for the throw and it sailed wide and into right-field foul territory. Adam LaRoche followed with a single through the right side for the Nationals, who went 5-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
Santana has allowed more than three earned runs just three times in 11 starts since the All-Star break, but he’s done it in each of is past two starts. He gave up seven seven hits and four runs in six innings of Wednesday’s 7-4 win against the Phillies, one of only three times the Braves scored more than three runs in their past 15 games before doing it again Tuesday.
Two of four runs charged to Zimmermann (11-5) were unearned, and the right-hander allowed six hits and no walks with seven strikeouts in seven innings to improve to 5-0 with a 2.40 ERA in his past nine starts. Zimmermann has limited the Braves to two earned runs or fewer in eight of his 10 career starts against them including all three this season.
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