WASHINGTON (AP) — Michael Harris II hit two of Atlanta’s four home runs and the Braves had 15 hits in a 12-0 rout of the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night, despite losing starter Reynaldo López to a right shoulder injury after one inning.
López left with right shoulder tightness after throwing 25 pitches, 16 for strikes. His fastball velocity — usually 96 mph — was down to the 92-94 mph range. He and three relievers limited the Nationals — losers of seven of their last 10 games — to three hits.
It was the fourth multi-homer game of Harris’ career. Sean Murphy hit a two-run shot and Orlando Arcia had solo homer one night after the Braves mustered only a pair singles by Matt Olson in a 1-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
Atlanta hit three doubles in the four-run third, then added three runs in the next frame to chase Nationals left-handed starter MacKenzie Gore and move within one-half game of the idle Mets for the final NL wild card.
Ramón Laureano and Murphy each had two hits and three RBIs. Olson added two singles and a double, his third multi-hit game in his last four.
With two outs in the bottom of the first, López hit Nationals designated hitter Andrés Chaparro with a pitch. The right-hander was checked by Braves medical staff, but stayed in to finish the inning with a called third strike to José Tena.
López had tossed at least six innings this past three starts and has been mainstay in the Braves rotation for 24 starts after signing a three-year free agent deal from the White Sox.
Right-hander Jesse Chavez (2-2) came on for López and held the Nationals to one hit, striking out three.
Gore (8-12) lasted 3 2/3 inning, surrendering seven runs, but just two earned runs, with six hits, three walks, three strikeouts, one hit by pitch and one wild pitch.
Chaparro stole second base in the first inning to become the 23rd Nationals player with a stolen base this season, matching the 1917 Pittsburgh Pirates. It was Chaparro’s first major league stolen base.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: RHP Trevor Williams (right flexor muscle strain, 15-day IL) tossed three shutout innings on 28 pitches — 21 for strikes — allowing three hits and striking out one in his first rehab assignment for Double-A Harrisburg.
UP NEXT
Braves LHP Max Fried (9-8, 3.35 ERA) opposes Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (9-12, 4.28) to wrap up the two-game series.
