By Tiffany Williams –
At Nationals Park in Washington, DC, pinch-hitter Amed Rosario delivered a clutch performance by singling home the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning, leading the Washington Nationals to a thrilling 8-7 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night. This marked the Nationals’ fifth consecutive win, showcasing their resilience and determination. With Thursday night’s defeat, the Braves now hold a balanced 3-3 record against the Nationals for the season.
Trevor Williams took the mound for the Nationals and faced challenges throughout the night. In his previous start on May 15 against the Braves, he allowed four runs (three earned) over 4.1 innings, contributing to a 5-2 loss. Unfortunately, on Thursday, Williams struggled again, surrendering five runs on four hits with three strikeouts in just 3.2 innings of work.
The game started on a high note for the Braves, as Matt Olson launched an impressive fly ball to right field in the top of the first inning, driving in his eleventh home run of the season with an 88.6 mph four-seam fastball, giving Atlanta an early 1-0 lead. Shortly after, in the same inning, Marcell Ozuna extended the Braves’ advantage to 2-0 by smashing his ninth home run of the year, also on a fly ball to left field, which was propelled by an 88.1 mph four-seam fastball.
However, the momentum shifted in the bottom of the second inning when the Nationals explosively took the lead, scoring five runs to leap ahead 5-2. Key contributions came from players like James Wood, Robert Hassell III, Alex Call, José Tena, and CJ Abrams, all of whom crossed the plate to ignite the home crowd.
Not to be outdone, the Braves responded in the top of the fourth inning. A rally ensued, allowing Marcell Ozuna and Ozzie Albies to score, knotting the game at 5-5 and reigniting Atlanta’s hopes.
As the game progressed, the Nationals regained their lead in the bottom of the fourth, with CJ Abrams and James Wood scoring again, pushing the score to 7-5. Atlanta managed to tighten the gap in the seventh inning when Stuart Fairchild crossed home plate, bringing the game to 6-7.
The tension rose in the top of the ninth when Atlanta capitalized on a scoring opportunity, tying the game 7-7 with Luke Williams crossing the plate.
However, in a dramatic turn of events during the tenth inning, the Nationals sealed their victory with Robert Hassell III scoring the decisive run, bringing the final score to 8-7 in favor of Washington. The late-inning heroics and thrilling back-and-forth play made for an unforgettable matchup at Nationals Park.
Sports Insider Daily 