Jake Irvin's sharp start leads Nationals past Braves

Jake Irvin pitched six scoreless innings and the Washington Nationals beat the visiting Atlanta Braves 2-1 Friday night.

Jesse Winker had two hits for Washington, which snapped a four-game losing streak by leveling the four-game series at one win apiece. Winker has two or more hits in four of his past five games.

Irvin (4-5) allowed four hits and two walks while striking out four.

Kyle Finnegan pitched the ninth for his 17th save, surviving the leadoff hitter reaching on a strike-three wild pitch. Nationals third baseman Nick Senzel made a fine play to start a 5-4-3 double play, and Finnegan then fanned Adam Duvall for the last out.

Marcell Ozuna had two hits for the Braves, who had won three of four. Atlanta went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.

The Braves pulled within 2-1 in the eighth when Ozuna doubled off Hunter Harvey with two outs and Matt Olson singled him home.

Braves starter Chris Sale (8-2) gave up two runs on five hits in seven innings. He tied his season high with 10 strikeouts while walking one.

Atlanta loaded the bases with a double and two walks with two outs in the third, but Irvin got Ozuna on an inning-ending grounder to short.

CJ Abrams doubled leading off the Washington fourth. With one out, Senzel walked, and on a double-steal attempt, catcher Sean Murphy's throw went into center field, allowing Abrams to score. With two outs, Ildemaro Vargas singled, scoring Senzel to make it 2-0.

Orlando Arcia doubled leading off the Atlanta fifth and went to third on a groundout, but Irvin retired the next two batters on popouts.

In the Atlanta sixth, Austin Riley singled and Ozuna doubled him to third, but Irvin got Olson to pop out, Ozzie Albies to ground back to the mound and Duvall to fly out.

Lane Thomas tripled leading off the bottom of the sixth, but Sale retired the next two hitters on ground balls before Vargas lined out.

--Field Level Media