Bryce Elder's effective outing steers Braves to win over Nationals

Field Level Media|published: Fri 31st July, 22:16 2026

Jul 31, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Bryce Elder (55) pitches against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Matt Olson and Michael Harris II hit home runs and Bryce Elder pitched six strong innings, lifting the Atlanta Braves to a 6-2 win over the visiting Washington Nationals on Friday.

Atlanta has won both games in the four-game series and holds a 6-3 lead over the Nationals in the season series. The Braves are on a three-game overall winning streak, while the Nationals have dropped three in a row.

Olson went 2-for-4 with a double and a first-inning solo homer. Harris finished 2-for-4 and put the game away with a three-run shot in the sixth inning.

Elder (7-6) allowed one run on four hits and three walks while striking out three. He earned his second win over Washington this season.

Atlanta's Elieser Hernandez covered the final three innings in relief. He gave up five hits, including a solo homer to Andres Chaparro in the ninth, but fanned four, walked one and earned his first career save.

CJ Abrams also went deep for Washington.

Most of Atlanta's damage came against Foster Griffin (12-3), who pitched 5 1/3 innings and permitted six runs on nine hits and two walks, striking out three. Griffin saw his eight-decision winning streak end.

Olson socked his 29th homer with two outs in the first, a 396-foot shot into the right field seats.

Atlanta added a run in the second when Jim Jarvis, who finished with three hits, lined an RBI single to center field.

Abrams cut the Nationals' deficit to 2-1 leading off the fourth, when he crushed an elevated cutter from Elder high into the right field seats. It was his 28th homer and eighth in his past 12 games.

The Braves broke the game open in the sixth by scoring four times. Olson led off with a double, Ozzie Albies followed with a single and Harris lined a three-run blast 421 feet into the right field seats for his 20th home run.

Griffin soon exited with a runner on base, and Jarvis came through with an RBI single against Trevor Williams.

The Nationals got two runners on base in the seventh and eighth innings but came up empty both times. Washington finished 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 on base.

--Field Level Media