Nick Senzel, Nationals hold off Braves

Nick Senzel had three hits including a two-run home run and the Washington Nationals beat the visiting Atlanta Braves 7-3 on Saturday.

Eddie Rosario had two hits and drove in three runs and Lane Thomas had two hits and scored twice as Washington won its second straight.

Senzel drove in three runs, walked and scored twice.

Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore (5-5) was charged with two runs on six hits in five-plus innings. He struck out seven and walked one.

Sean Murphy homered and Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson had two hits each for Atlanta, which has lost three of four.

Atlanta starter Charlie Morton (3-3) allowed five runs -- four earned-- on seven hits over five innings.

The Braves loaded the bases with a single, double and walk with two outs in the first, but Gore got Orlando Arcia to fly out.

In the Washington first, leadoff batter CJ Abrams was hit by a pitch and Thomas singled. Jesse Winker sacrificed the runners to second and third and Rosario doubled to center field to give the Nationals a 2-0 lead.

Senzel doubled leading off the bottom of the second and, with two outs, Abrams singled him home to make it 3-0.

Luis Garcia, Jr. led off the bottom of the fourth with a double and scored when Senzel doubled to left with one out increasing the lead to 4-0.

Gore hit Michael Harris II with a pitch leading off the fifth. With two outs, Ozzie Albies doubled him home to cut the Braves deficit to 4-1.

Thomas reached on an error with one out in the fifth. He moved to second on Morton's errant pickoff throw and scored on Rosario's single.

Derek Law replaced Gore after Ozuna and Olson singled to start the sixth. Ozuna went third on a fly out and scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-2.

Keibert Ruiz singled against Dylan Lee in the sixth and Senzel homered to left center to make it 7-2.

Murphy homered leading off the seventh to pull Atlanta within 7-3.

--Field Level Media