ATLANTA — Marcell Ozuna hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the fifth inning, Spencer Strider shook off a shaky first inning to get his 20th win of the season, and the MLB-leading Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals 5-3 on Saturday night.
“It’s amazing, he’s amazing,” Ozuna said of Strider. “Thank God for giving me the opportunity and the blessing to allow him to do that.”
Strider, Major League Baseball’s leader in strikeouts and victories this season, got off to a rough start with a 36-pitch, three-run first inning. He settled down to finish with seven strikeouts on 94 pitches (57 strikes) in five innings.
“I just tried to keep us in the game,” Strider said. “Like I’ve said so many times before, if you give (the Atlanta lineup) a chance, they’re going to turn it on at some point, and they did today.”
Ronald Acuña Jr. doubled to begin the fifth and scored on Ozzie Albies’ single. Matt Olson followed with a single to set the stage for Ozuna’s 38th homer of the year, which set a career high and sailed 432 feet to center field to put the Braves up 5-3.