The Washington Nationals turned an early advantage into a 9-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park, using a four-run second inning to control the game’s shape. Brady House drove in three runs, CJ Abrams added two hits and two RBIs, and Yohandy Morales supplied three hits with a home run. Atlanta narrowed the gap with three runs in the eighth, but Washington had already built enough separation to close out the win.

Washington’s offense established the margin before the game settled into its middle innings. The Nationals scored four in the second, added one in the third, and extended the lead with one in the sixth and two in the seventh. House’s three RBIs made him Washington’s most productive run producer, while Abrams’ 2-for-4 performance kept pressure on Atlanta’s pitching. Morales went 3-for-5, scored twice, and homered, giving the Nationals a consistent presence in the middle of the order.

Jake Irvin and AJ Smith-Shawver each worked four innings and struck out five, but Washington’s run support separated the starters’ outcomes. Jared Simpson covered three innings with three strikeouts and a listed 0.00 ERA, helping protect the lead after Atlanta’s eighth-inning surge. Ha-Seong Kim went 3-for-3 for Atlanta, and the Braves finally broke through for three runs in the eighth, but the Nationals’ earlier production left no room for a full comeback.

Washington finished with the decisive edge in situational offense, converting its best scoring opportunities early and preserving the advantage through the late innings. Atlanta’s 82-57 record remains strong, but this loss exposed the cost of allowing a multi-run inning to define the game; the 67-74 Nationals, meanwhile, showed they can punish that lapse and withstand a late response.