WASHINGTON (AP) - Julio Teheran has been unbeatable in his road starts this season. Against the Nationals on Saturday, he came through with his bat as well.
Teheran pitched seven strong innings to keep up his road dominance and added a career-high three RBIs, Nick Markakis and Johnan Camargo each had three hits, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals 13-0 Saturday.
Teheran (7-6) gave up four hits while walking two and striking out five to improve to 6-0 in nine road starts this season. He singled twice against Stephen Strasburg to improve to 4 for 7 in his career against him.
“What hurt were early in the game, Suzuki with those key hits and Teheran with those key hits,” Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. “They had driven in four of the first five runs - the bottom of the order.”
Strasburg (9-3) was hit on his hip by a line drive from Markakis in the third and left after the inning. He gave up six runs - three earned - and seven hits in his shortest outing of the season.
“I definitely could have kept going but just got singled to death,” said Strasburg who gave up five singles and two doubles.
Markakis hit his fourth home run of the season for Atlanta while Matt Adams added his 14th.
The Braves have taken two out of three to pull 8 1/2 games behind Washington in the NL East. The Nationals were shut out for the first time this season.
With Atlanta already up 3-0 in the third, Markakis lined a pitch right back at Strasburg that caught the pitcher on the hip. Strasburg picked up the ball and made an errant throw to second allowing Markakis to reach first while Matt Kemp advanced to third.
Baker, pitching coach Mike Maddux, and trainer Paul Lessard all came to the mound to check on Strasburg who stayed in the game to face five more hitters before getting out of the inning in a 6-0 hole. Kurt Suzuki’s two-out RBI single and Teheran’s two-run RBI single in the third both came after Strasburg’s shot to the hip.
“When (Teheran) was leaving (the dugout) I said way to swing the bat,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “The bottom of the order had a really big day.”
Tanner Roark entered in the fourth - his first relief appearance of the season and allowed three runs and four hits
The Braves scored one run in the sixth, seventh, and eighth before adding four in the ninth.
Atlanta improved to 6-6 against Washington after going 4-15 against the Nationals last year. The Braves have won four of six in Washington this year after dropping 23 of their previous 25 road games against the Nationals.
STREAK ENDED
Washington, which had just four hits, was shut out for the first time in 87 games this season. The Nationals were the last National League team to get blanked. “I hate to get shut out but it’s our first shutout of the year, we were last in our league,” said Baker. “Hopefully we can go another 80-something games without getting shut out.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Braves: INF/OF Sean Rodriguez went 0 for 3 with an RBI and a walk in his first rehab assignment for Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday. Rodriquez, who signed as a free agent in November and has since missed the entire first half of the season while recovering from left rotator cuff surgery.
Nationals: Baker said he’d hope to have OF Jayson Werth “realistically ready sometime around the Arizona series” which begins on July 21. Werth is currently on rehab in West Palm Beach and has missed 34 games for the Nationals since fouling a ball off his left foot on June 4.
UP NEXT
Braves: LHP Sean Newcomb (1-3, 3.58) looks to bounce back after the shortest outing of his season when he lasted just 3 1/3 innings in a 16-4 loss to Houston on July 4.
Nationals: Baker has not yet named a starter although he hinted toward RHP Joe Ross (5-3, 4.86) before the game.
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