Field Level Media
May 28, 2019
Howie Kendrick had three hits, including a home run, and Stephen Strasburg earned his 99th career victory when the visiting Washington Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 5-4 on Tuesday.
Kendrick was 3-for-5 with a double, his ninth home run, scored twice and drove in a run. Kendrick improved his batting average to .320.
Strasburg (5-3) pitched seven innings and allowed two runs on five hits. He struck out 11, matching his season high, and walked two. Strasburg lowered his ERA to 3.19.
Sean Doolittle struck out the side in the ninth to earn his 10th save. Dansby Swanson singled with two outs, but Doolittle fanned Freddie Freeman to end the game.
Atlanta starter Max Fried (7-3) pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed four runs on nine hits and three walks. He struck out five. Fried hit two batters and picked off two runners -- Trea Turner at second and Adam Eaton at first. The loss snapped Fried's three-game winning streak and his ERA rose to 3.19.
The Nationals took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning. Juan Soto singled, extending his hitting streak to 12 games, and scored on a single by Victor Robles.
The Braves went ahead with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Freeman was hit by a pitch and Atlanta strung consecutive hits from Josh Donaldson, Nick Markakis -- which drove in a run -- and Austin Riley. Brian McCann drove home the second run on a sacrifice fly.
The Nationals regained the lead with three runs in the sixth. Kendrick and former Brave Kurt Suzuki began the inning with back-to-back doubles, the latter driving in Kendrick. Robles was hit by a pitch and Turner and Adam Eaton were walked, scoring Suzuki. Reliever Anthony Swarzak issued another bases-loaded walk to Anthony Rendon before striking out Soto to end the inning.
Kendrick hit a solo homer off Swarzak in the seventh inning to put Washington ahead 5-2.
Atlanta rookie Austin Riley hit a two-run homer, his sixth, against reliever Kyle Barraclough in the eighth inning to trim Washington's lead to 5-4.
--Field Level Media