By Charles Odum, The Associated Press
ATLANTA - Ryan Zimmerman had three hits, including a three-run home run, and Washington hit four homers to beat Jair Jurrjens and the Atlanta Braves 9-2 on Tuesday night.
Michael Morse also had three hits, including a homer, while driving in three runs. Danny Espinosa and Laynce Nix also homered for Washington.
The Braves, coming off an unusual three-day break after two games in New York were postponed by Hurricane Irene, were shut down by Livan Hernandez (8-12). Hernandez allowed two runs on five hits and three walks in seven innings.
Jurrjens (13-6) gave up six runs, matching his season high. He allowed eight hits, including three homers, in six innings.
Jurrjens' troubles began when Morse led off the second inning with a long homer into the second section of seats in the left-field stands. Morse added a run-scoring double in the third.
Zimmerman's homer in the fifth drove in Hernandez, who led off with a double, and Ian Desmond, who singled. Espinosa led off the sixth with his 19th homer, passing Atlanta's Freddie Freeman for the National League rookie lead.
The Nationals added three runs in the seventh off Cristhian Martinez. Zimmerman doubled and scored on a Morse single, and Nix added a two-run homer.
Atlanta scored only one run in the second after loading the bases with no outs on walks to Dan Uggla and Chipper Jones and a single by Freeman. After Alex Gonzalez popped out to Chris Marrero at first base, Jason Heyward's fly ball to center drove in Uggla. Jurrjens' groundout ended the inning.
Gonzalez doubled and scored on Heyward's single in the seventh.
Jurrjens was 12-3 before the All-Star break while allowing only five homers in 16 starts. He is 1-3 since the break while giving up nine homers in seven starts. He has allowed four or more runs in five of the seven starts.
Tom Gorzelanny and Sean Burnett each pitched one scoreless inning in relief of Hernandez.
Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos, who was sick with a fever, was removed from manager Davey Johnson's original lineup. Jesus Flores had three strikeouts while filling in for Ramos.
Pitcher Stephen Strasburg is scheduled to make his first 2011 start for the Nationals on Sept. 6 against the Dodgers. He has one more minor league rehab start planned for Thursday as he continues his comeback from Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow.
Braves right-hander Tommy Hanson said he has been cleared to begin rehabbing his right shoulder, one day after meeting with Dr. James Andrews to discuss the MRI that showed a small tear in his rotator cuff.
Derek Lowe, 9-8 in his career against Washington, including a 1-1 record in three starts against the Nationals this season, will face Nationals lefty John Lannan tonight. Lowe is 8-12 this season; Lannan is 8-10 but 3-0 in four starts against the Braves.