Strasburg homers, knocks in 5 as Nats rout Braves

[July 19, 2019]    Stephen Strasburg did it all for the visiting Washington Nationals on Thursday, earning his National League-leading 12th win, hitting a three-run homer and driving in five runs in a 13-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (37) rounds third base to score against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Strasburg (12-4) pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on eight hits, two walks and seven strikeouts.

The right-hander's 420-foot homer, his first of the season and the fourth of his career, put the finishing touch on Washington's eight-run, third-inning outburst. The blast was instrumental in helping the Nationals take the opener of a four-game series while extending Atlanta's losing streak to three games.

Strasburg went 3-for-3, matching his career high for hits. He entered the game with only three hits in 41 at-bats (.073) with one RBI on the season.

Washington amassed 16 hits, three of them by Antony Rendon, who improved to (.458) 11-for-24 on the current road trip.

The Nationals have won 14 of their past 18 games.

The losing pitcher was Kyle Wright (0-3), who was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett earlier Thursday to give scheduled starter Julio Teheran an extra day off. Wright pitched 2 2/3 innings and allowed seven runs on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts in his fourth major league start, all this season.

Wright left the game with two runners on base in the third and was replaced by Touki Toussaint. The reliever gave up the three-run shot to Strasburg on his second pitch, and surrendered a two-run single to Strasburg in the fifth. Toussaint gave up three runs in 2 1/3 innings.

Atlanta scored first when Freddie Freeman drove in a run with a single in the opening inning.

The Nationals rallied for eight runs in the third. Adam Eaton tripled home the tying tally, knocking in Strasburg, who had hit a leadoff single. Rendon followed with an RBI double, and four batters later, Brian Dozier drew a bases-loaded walk.

Victor Robles got two runs home with a ground-rule double to make it 5-1, and Strasburg homered to left to complete the rally.

Atlanta got a solo homer from Nick Markakis in the eighth.

--Field Level Media

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