ATLANTA – The Atlanta Braves are headed out West for their first road trip of the season after an opening homestand with plenty of celebrations of last year’s World Series championship – and more losses than wins.
The Braves lost for the fourth time in their first seven games and dropped two of three to a National League East Division rival with Wednesday’s 3-1 loss to the Washington Nationals.
Atlanta, which split a four-game series with the Cincinnati Reds that wrapped up Sunday, lost 11-2 to Washington on Monday before erupting in a 16-4 win Tuesday. The Braves were quiet at the plate again Wednesday, when Nationals starter Josiah Gray allowed one hit in five scoreless innings.
“It’s the beginning of the season. I’m glad we won three, honestly,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “… You know what? It was a fun week. Everything the club did to celebrate last year was really good. Now I think guys, honestly, are ready to just turn the page and let’s play ball. And we’re done with all that. It’s just about ball now.”
The series win was a confidence boost for both Washington and Gray, who was making his third career start against Atlanta.
“When you see guys time and time again and you continue to get them out, it gives you that extra confidence my stuff is still playing,” Gray said. “They’re still having a difficult time in picking up my stuff. It definitely gives you confidence.”
Austin Riley homered off Kyle Finnegan in the sixth, one of three hits in the game for Atlanta, which has seven more games to play – all on the road – before its first scheduled off day of the season on April 21. A four-game series against the San Diego Padres that starts Thursday night will be followed three matchups with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“I’m sure they’ll get a good nap on the flight tonight and just go play baseball,” Snitker said.
Gray (1-1) struck out five Braves, walked three and hit a batter. His only trouble spot came in the fifth, when he hit Adam Duvall and walked Alex Dickerson with two outs before striking out Manny Piña. Gray then tried to convince manager Dave Martinez to leave him in the game for the sixth.
“Josiah gave us five strong innings,” Martinez said. “He wanted to go a little longer. I told him he had 82 pitches. That was good enough for five innings.”
Gray is expected to play an important role in Washington’s rebuilding effort. Beating the Braves provided more evidence the 24-year-old right-hander can lead the rotation.
“It’s really exciting to see him grow, and I’m pumped to see what happens next for him,” said first baseman Josh Bell, who had two hits.
Atlanta’s Max Fried (0-2), who also started last Thursday’s opener, allowed three runs (two earned) and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings as his ERA grew to 5.73.
Washington’s first two hitters, César Hernández and Juan Soto, reached with singles to start the game. Hernández scored on Bell’s groundout and Soto scored on Maikel Franco’s single, the third hit of the inning, for a 2-0 lead.
After the game, Fried said he avoided an injury when he was struck on his right leg by Nelson Cruz’s grounder in the sixth. Fried picked up the ball and threw to first in time to record the out. Braves trainer George Poulis checked on Fried, who threw a couple of practice pitches before remaining in the game to allow singles to Bell and Franco.
Fried gave up singles to his next two batters and then was replaced by Collin McHugh.
Riley reached on an infield single off Tanner Rainey with one out in the ninth for Atlanta’s third hit. Rainey earned his second save of the season when Marcell Ozuna grounded into a double play.
Ozzie Albies led off the bottom of the first with a single but was caught stealing by catcher Riley Adams’ strong throw to second. Gray didn’t give up another hit, and he didn’t allow another baserunner until walking Albies to lead off the fourth. Matt Olson then hit into a double play.
Cruz returned to Washington’s lineup after he was scratched Tuesday night because of groin tightness. Martinez waited to make out Wednesday’s lineup until Cruz took swings in the batting cage to show he was ready to play.
Jackson’s surgery
Braves right-hander Luke Jackson had Tommy John surgery Wednesday in Arlington, Texas. The team announced Dr. Keith Meister performed the season-ending procedure to reconstruct Jackson’s right ulnar collateral ligament.
The Braves said on April 2 that Jackson had damage to the ligament. The reliever was 2-2 with a career-best 1.98 ERA in 71 games in 2021. He did not allow an unearned run against the Houston Astros last fall while appearing in three of the six World Series games.