The Atlanta Braves turned a tight game into a one-sided finish, scoring nine unanswered runs to beat the Washington Nationals 9-0 at Nationals Park. Atlanta remained scoreless through five innings before producing three runs in the sixth, three more in the seventh, two in the eighth and one in the ninth. Sean Murphy supplied the decisive damage with a home run and four RBIs, while Ronald Acuña Jr. added three hits, a homer and three RBIs.

Murphy delivered in every major scoring situation, going 2-for-4 with two runs and driving in four of Atlanta’s nine runs. Acuña was just as consistent at the top of the order, going 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs; together, the Braves’ two power bats accounted for seven runs driven in. Austin Riley added two hits and two RBIs, giving Atlanta a third middle-of-the-order presence Washington could not contain once the offense started moving in the sixth.

The game’s competitive arc changed after five scoreless innings. Atlanta’s three-run sixth created the first separation, and another three-run inning in the seventh ended Washington’s chance to remain within striking distance. The Braves added insurance in each of the final two innings, while their pitching staff held the Nationals off the board throughout. Grant Holmes and Elieser Hernández each worked three innings, and Didier Fuentes struck out two in a scoreless inning; Washington’s Brad Lord was effective in relief with 3.1 innings and six strikeouts, but Atlanta’s sustained pressure eventually decided the game.

Atlanta improved to 83-57 and reinforced the value of its lineup depth, with Murphy, Acuña and Riley combining for nine hits, two home runs and nine RBIs. Washington fell to 67-75 after failing to score and losing control once the Braves broke through, leaving the Nationals with no margin for error in the games ahead. For Atlanta, this was a complete road performance: patient early, forceful late and backed by a shutout.