ATLANTA — Jordan Zimmermann won for the first time in four starts and hit a three-run single to help the Washington Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves, 13-4, on Wednesday night.
Denard Span, who had five hits the previous night, added a three-run home run in the ninth. The Nationals banged out 15 hits again, giving them 30 hits and 26 runs scored over the last two games.
The biggest swing in this one belonged to their starting pitcher. In 264 career at-bats over seven seasons, Zimmermann had just 12 RBI, but his bases-loaded single in the four-run fourth inning gave Washington the lead for good.
On the mound, Zimmermann (2-2) gave up eight hits, one walk and four runs — three earned — with seven strikeouts in seven innings.
Washington has won its last two games after dropping six in a row. Atlanta has lost seven of nine.
Braves starter Alex Wood (1-1) allowed six hits and five runs, striking out eight in five innings. The left-hander had gone 15 consecutive starts without allowing more than three earned runs and had a 2.18 ERA over that span since last July 30 at the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Washington cut the lead to 2-1 in the second on Wilson Ramos’ RBI single, but the Nationals took a 5-3 lead in the fourth.
Bryce Harper doubled and scored from second when left fielder Kelly Johnson bobbled Ryan Zimmerman’s single. After Danny Espinosa singled and Uggla walked, Zimmermann cleared the bases with a single into the gap in left-center.
Trevor Cahill replaced Wood, giving up Uggla’s RBI groundout in the sixth and Jayson Werth’s RBI single and Espinosa’s two-run single in the seventh to make it 9-4.
In the ninth, Uggla had an RBI single and Span added his second home run, a three-run shot off John Cornely, to put the Nationals up, 13-4.
The Braves went up 2-0 in the first on A.J. Pierzynski’s two-run double and 3-1 in the third on Freddie Freeman’s RBI single. Atlanta cut the lead to 5-4 in the fifth when Eric Young Jr. scored on Nick Markakis’ double-play grounder.
Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer will rejoin the rotation on Friday in a road game against the New York Mets after missing his scheduled start on Tuesday with a sprained right thumb.
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