Atlanta Braves starter Kevin Gausman pitches against the Washington Nationals during the first inning of Sunday's game in Atlanta.ATLANTA - Kevin Gausman showed he has the potential to add stability to the Atlanta Braves' rotation.
Just like last year.
Gausman pitched into the eighth inning after missing more than a month, and Ronald Acuña Jr. and Josh Donaldson hit home runs as the Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals 7-1 Sunday night to protect their lead in the National League's East Division.
Atlanta acquired Gausman from the Baltimore Orioles at the 2018 trade deadline and he won five games with a 2.87 ERA in 10 starts for the Braves. The right-hander had a bloated 6.21 ERA in 13 starts this year before landing on the injured list with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, but he was sharp in his first outing in the majors since June 10.
Atlanta Braves third baseman Josh Donaldson watches his home run sail over left-center field during the sixth inning of Sunday's game against the Washington Nationals.Gausman (3-5) allowed five hits and one run in seven-plus innings, with eight strikeouts and no walks.
"Hopefully he does for us what he did a year ago," said Atlanta manager Brian Snitker, explaining Gausman's return from the IL "would be like making a trade."
Atlanta's rotation has endured some turnover, making Gausman's strong start especially important 10 days before this year's trade deadline. The team sent struggling 2018 All-Star pitcher Mike Foltynewicz to Triple-A Gwinnett and moved Sean Newcomb to the bullpen in the first half while more recently losing Max Fried to the IL with a finger blister.
Gausman said "every guy here is pitching well," adding "I just hope to be another guy on that long list."
Atlanta's Nick Markakis hit a two-run single in the first off Joe Ross (0-2), Donaldson hit a sixth-inning homer off Ross and a run-scoring single in the seventh, and Acuña launched a two-run shot off Kyle McGowin in the eighth as the Braves secured a split of the four-game series to maintain a 6 1/2-game lead over the second-place Nationals.
"We had chances to especially win three of them, if not all four," Washington infielder Brian Dozier said.
Added manager Dave Martinez: "You were hoping to make up a couple games."
Gausman had good control of his fastball and didn't need to experiment with a curve he worked on during his minor league rehab assignment.
He did not allow a runner to reach second base until the eighth, when he was pulled after giving up singles to Dozier and Kurt Suzuki to open the inning. Pinch-hitter Gerardo Parra's bloop single off Anthony Swarzak drove in Dozier.
Ross, recalled from Triple-A Fresno before the game, allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings.
Atlanta's Freddie Freeman had three hits and an RBI.
Acuña singled up the middle in the second and was thrown out at second by Victor Robles to end the inning. Acuña, who walked in the seventh, has reached safely in 27 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the majors.
Nationals center fielder Victor Robles raced in toward the infield to make a diving catch of Dansby Swanson's shallow fly in the fifth.
The loss by Ross snapped a string of 27 consecutive starts without a defeat for Washington's starting pitchers since a loss by Stephen Strasburg on June 15. It was the longest streak since the 1916 New York Giants.