Washington Nationals’ Ryan Zimmerman, 11, Jeff Kobernus, 26, Anthony Rendon, 6, and Chad Tracy, 18, celebrate after Kobernus and Rendon scored to win the game in the ninth inning of the first baseball game of a doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park in Washington.WASHINGTON – Shortstop Andrelton Simmons allowed Denard Span’s grounder to bounce through his legs for a game-ending, two-run error, lifting the Washington Nationals over the Atlanta Braves 6-5 Tuesday in the makeup of a series opener postponed by a shooting rampage a day earlier at the nearby Navy Yard.
Pinch-hitter Chad Tracy had an RBI grounder against Craig Kimbrell in the three-run ninth as Washington kept Atlanta’s magic number at four for clinching the NL East for the first time since the Braves’ streak of 11 consecutive division titles from 1995-05. A sweep of the day-night doubleheader would have sealed the division for Atlanta.
Washington closed within 4 1/2 games of Cincinnati for the NL’s second wild-card berth with 12 games remaining.
Atlanta trailed 3-0 but took a 4-3 lead in the eighth on Evan Gattis’ two-run homer off Tyler Clippard on an 0-2 pitch, which stopped an 0-for-18 skid. The Braves added a run in the ninth when Elliot Johnson singled, advanced on a throwing error by left fielder Bryce Harper, stole third and came around as shortstop Ian Desmond allowed Freddie Freeman’s four-hop grounder to bounce off the heel of his glove for his 18th error this season.
Kimbrel (3-3), who leads the major leagues with 47 saves, had converted 37 in a row but blew a save chance for just the fourth time this season.