Where: Nationals Park, Washington, District of Columbia
Temperature: 92°
Umpires: Home - Mike Reilly, 1B - Chad Fairchild, 2B - Eric Cooper, 3B - Bill Miller
Attendance: 30263
The bottom of Washington’s lineup provided some early pop, Adam Dunn added a late home run and the Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 5-3 on Thursday.
The Nationals No. 6-8 hitters combined for four hits, three runs and four RBIs, led by shortstop Ian Desmond, who was 2-for-3 with a homer. Dunn scored twice and had two hits, including his 24th homer.
Washington grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second on Mike Morse's RBI single and Desmond's solo homer, his seventh. After the Braves tied it on Matt Diaz's two-run shot in the fourth, Wil Nieves put the Nationals back in front with a two-run single from the eighth spot in the bottom of the inning.
Making his first start since May 21, left-hander Scott Olsen (3-2) went six innings, allowing three runs - two earned - on five hits for the win. Matt Capps pitched a perfect ninth for his 26th save.
Braves starter Derek Lowe (10-9) took the loss, allowing four runs on five hits over five innings.
Omar Infante had two hits and drove in a run for the Braves, who have lost two of three in consecutive road series and are 6-7 since the All-Star break.
The game was delayed for 92 minutes because of rain during the sixth inning.
| Atlanta | Washington | |
| Derek Lowe | Player | Scott Olsen |
| Loss | W/L | Win |
| 5.0 | IP | 6.0 |
| 3 | Strikeouts | 1 |
| 5 | Hits | 5 |
| 7.20 | ERA | 3.00 |
| Atlanta | Washington | |
| David Ross | Player | Ian Desmond |
| 2 | Hits | 2 |
| 0 | RBI | 1 |
| 0 | HR | 1 |
| 4 | TB | 6 |
| .667 | Avg | .667 |
| Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
| Atlanta | 6 | 1 | 11 | .182 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Washington | 7 | 2 | 15 | .226 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |