Braves come from behind to top Nationals

Field Level Media|published: Thu 30th July, 21:57 2026

Jul 30, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Grant Holmes (66) pitches against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Ozzie Albies' two-out single in the sixth inning drove in two runs and helped the Atlanta Braves take a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the visiting Washington Nationals on Thursday.

Albies was facing a two-strike count when home plate umpire Chad Fairchild warned him about standing outside the batter's box. Albies then hit the next pitch from left-hander Carson Palmquist into center field to drive in Drake Baldwin and Ronald Acuna Jr.

The winning pitcher was Victor Mederos (1-0). Raisel Iglesias pitched a scoreless ninth and earned his 23rd save.

Washington starter Jake Irvin (2-5) took the loss. He was activated from the injured list to make his first start against May 23. He retired the first 10 batters and left the game after walking the first two batters in the sixth inning. He allowed five runs on three hits and two walks, striking out one.

Atlanta starter Grant Holmes pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on five hits -- three of them solo home runs -- and two walks, striking out four. He departed with runners on second and third and reliever Danny Young retired CJ Abrams on a popup to end the threat.

The Nationals jumped out to a 3-0 lead thanks to three solo homers. Daylen Lile went deep in the second and fourth innings, giving him 13 for the year. In the third, Luis Garcia Jr. clobbered a hanging curve 455 feet on top of the restaurant in right field for his 23rd homer.

The power display gives the Nationals a major league-leading 162 home runs, one more than they had for the entire 2025 season.

Atlanta cut the margin to 3-1 in the fourth when Acuna hit an opposite-field solo homer to right, his eighth. It was his first homer in four games since returning from the injured list.

The Braves tied the game 3-3 in the fifth when Mike Yastrzemski hit a two-run homer to right field, scoring Dominic Smith, who started the two-out rally with a single.

The Nationals scored a run in the seventh on an RBI triple by Garcia to trim the lead to one run. Garcia finished 3-for-5 and was a single shy of hitting for the cycle.

--Field Level Media

Latest