WASHINGTON (AP) - Stephen Strasburg threw eight scoreless innings, Ryan Zimmerman had a two-run triple and the Washington Nationals defeated the Atlanta Braves 4-1 on Tuesday night.
A night after Washington starter Max Scherzer stymied the Braves with a two-hit shutout, Strasburg (2-1) was nearly as effective against Atlanta.
Strasburg allowed three hits and two walks while striking out eight, at one point retiring 12 in a row. He didn't allow a runner past second base.
Ryan Madson allowed a two-out RBI double in the ninth to Dansby Swanson, but escaped the jam to earn his first save.
Zimmerman, dropped one place in the lineup to the fifth spot as part of first-year manager Dave Martinez's early-season tinkering, entered the night hitting .097 with only three RBIs in 31 at-bats.
He broke out of the funk with a first-inning liner that center fielder Ender Inciarte dove for and missed. Zimmerman ended up with a two-run triple, his first triple since May 30, 2016, and he looked upward and grinned to celebrate what could be the end of his slump.
Brian Goodwin's two-out single knocked in an unearned run off starter Mike Foltynewicz (1-1) in the fourth, and the Nationals added another run in the sixth when reliever Shane Carle overthrew first on Strasburg's sacrifice attempt.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Braves: 3B Johan Camargo (right oblique muscle strain) homered Tuesday afternoon for Triple-A Gwinnett. Camargo is 2 for 16 in four games on his rehabilitation assignment.
Nationals: Washington reinstated C Miguel Montero from the paternity list and placed C Jhonatan Solano (right elbow bone spurs) on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to April 7. Solano had not played since joining the Nationals on Saturday. ... OF Adam Eaton was scratched from the original lineup. It was the second day off in a row for Eaton, who was out of the lineup Saturday with a left ankle injury. ... Martinez said 2B Howie Kendrick had a routine day off.
UP NEXT
Braves: RHP Brandon McCarthy (2-0, 3.97 ERA) owns a 2.05 ERA in three career starts against Washington.
Nationals: RHP A.J. Cole (0-1, 24.55) makes his second start of the season as the three-game series concludes.
