It was a battle of the bullpens again Wednesday afternoon. And once again, the Nationals lost that battle at Nationals Park.
Washington closer Sean Doolittle gave up a solo homer to Atlanta third baseman Josh Donaldson in the top of the 10th inning as the first-place Braves beat the Nationals 5-4, taking two of three games in the series. The Braves improved to 9-3 in extra-inning games, while the Nationals are 2-5.
“We were trying to go up and in,” Doolittle said of 1-2 pitch that Donaldson crushed to center.
“We will have plenty of games (seven) left with them,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said.
The Nationals (57-51) missed a chance to gain ground on the Braves (64-45), who are now 6 ½games ahead of Washington. The Nationals, who are 12-16 in one-run games, begin a three-city road trip on Friday in Phoenix against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“(The season’s final two months are) going to be fun,” Nationals starter Anibal Sanchez said. “We have a tough division. There is no doubt about that.”
Washington will not face the Braves again until September, when each city will host a weekend series. Each team has won six games against the other this season.
“That’s a really good group,” Doolittle said of the Braves.
Washington won the first game of the series Monday, but the Braves won 11-8 on Tuesday night.
“It’s big. You know, I say all, they’re all big,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “When you look back on it and you go to two division rivals (Philadelphia and Washington) and win both series, that’s pretty good.”
The Washington bullpen is 15-25 this season while the starters are 42-26.
The Nationals trailed 4-1 before Matt Adams hit a pinch-hit homer in the eighth to trim the margin to 4-2.
Washington had a chance to win in the last of the ninth. Nationals catcher Kurt Suzuki had an RBI single. and Gerardo Parra forced in the tying run when he hit into a double play. But Brian Dozier struck out to end the frame and force extra innings.
Washington’s Sanchez gave up 10 hits and four runs in five innings, but didn’t figure in the decision. Tanner Rainey, Wander Suero (two innings) and Fernando Rodney each held the Braves scoreless before Donaldson connected off Doolittle, who is now 6-3 with a 3.00 ERA.
“We hit some balls pretty good today; we played,” Martinez said. “We just fell short today.”
Atlanta reliever Josh Tomlin picked up just his second save of the season as he got three outs in the last of the 10th inning. He retired Washington slugger Anthony Rendon on a liner to left field with two runners on base in the 10th to end the game.
“Well, he, this is just one of the many that he’s provided us whether I say he’s like having a Swiss army knife in the bullpen,” Snitker said of Tomlin. “I mean, he’s closed games, he’s extended the game earlier in the year here. He gives you a lot, you know, it can give you innings he throws the ball over.”
⦁ Katelyn Davis contributed to this report.
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