ATLANTA — The Washington Nationals relied on its offense for its second straight win over Atlanta, leaving manager Davey Johnson feeling relaxed and happy.
Bryce Harper homered and Danny Espinosa added a three-run shot to help Washington strengthen its hold on first place in the National League East by beating the Atlanta Braves 8-4 on Saturday. It was the sixth loss in a row for the Braves.
Following Friday night’s 7-4 win in the series opener, the Nationals have scored seven or more runs in back-to-back games for the first time this season.
“The offense scoring seven runs two days in a row, I feel like I’m on vacation or something,” Johnson said.
Stephen Strasburg (5-1) was not sharp, but backed by the Nationals’ 12 hits, he still won. He set a season high with four walks while giving up four runs and six hits in five innings. He had six strikeouts.