Marcell Ozuna hit his 16th home run in the seventh inning, breaking the tie between the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals. Max Fried pitched well for eight innings, allowing seven hits with one walk and six strikeouts. He almost completed his second consecutive full game and third of the season. Fried praised the defense for turning four double plays, which helped him a lot.
The Braves’ defense made some amazing plays, including four double plays in crucial moments. Joey Meneses got three singles but was eliminated by double plays in the fourth and seventh innings.
Fried pitched better than Washington’s Jake Irvin, who had a career-high 10 strikeouts but allowed only two hits with two walks in six innings. Ozuna’s homer in the seventh inning gave the Braves the lead, followed by Matt Olson’s single and Sean Murphy’s single, leading to Jarred Kelenic’s sacrifice fly, scoring a run.
Raisel Iglesias secured the win with his 13th save. Nationals manager Dave Martinez expected Fried to pitch well, so he loaded his lineup with right-handed hitters. Braves manager Brian Snitker adjusted his lineup following Ronald Acuña Jr.’s injury, trying different leadoff hitters.
