Major league home run leader Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies homered as part of Atlanta’s 18-hit attack and Braves starter Max Fried was splendid for six innings in a 10-3 victory against the host Washington Nationals in Thursday night’s series opener.
Albies, who drove in four runs to eclipse the 100-RBI mark this season, went 4-for-6, and Orlando Arcia, Austin Riley and Michael Harris II each had three hits as the NL East champion Braves (98-55) won for just the second time in their last seven games.
Fried (8-1), who hadn’t pitched since Sept. 12, limited the Nationals to one run on three hits and one walk. He struck out seven.
Alex Call’s one-out home run in the third inning accounted for Washington’s first run. It was his eighth homer of the season, but Washington didn’t score again until the ninth inning.
Call, Drew Millas and Luis Garcia each finished with two hits for the Nationals (68-86), who had a rough start to their final home series of the season.
Despite all their offense, the Braves stranded 13 runners and went 6-for-23 with runners in scoring position.
Albies began the scoring with an RBI double in Atlanta’s five-run third inning.
Washington starter Jake Irvin (3-7) was tagged for five runs in 2 2/3 innings. It has been more than two months since he recorded a victory.
The Braves led 7-1 going to the eighth inning, when Olson connected for his 53rd homer of the season. That marked the first long ball in five games for Olson, who finished with two hits and two runs scored.
Atlanta scored in five different innings, including two ninth-inning runs on Albies’ 32nd home run of the season.
The Nationals scored 13 runs a day earlier against the Chicago White Sox, but they managed just eight hits against four Braves pitchers. Washington hitters struck out 10 times.
–Field Level Media