Jurickson Profar homered and drove in a pair of runs, Jose Suarez threw seven quality innings and the visiting Atlanta Braves posted a 6-3 victory over the Washington Nationals in the opener of a day-night doubleheader on Tuesday.
Suarez (2-0) was called up on Monday to make his first major league appearance since April 10 and his first start since Sept. 25, 2024 while with the Los Angeles Angels.
In the spot start, Suarez allowed two runs on five hits, while walking two and striking out a career-high nine batters. Matt Olson homered in his fourth straight game, while Raisel Iglesias worked a scoreless ninth, securing his 26th save of the year and the 250th of his career.
The Braves (68-83) have won three straight following a four-game losing streak. Ronald Acuna Jr. and Michael Harris II each had three hits for Atlanta.
Jake Irvin (8-13) allowed five runs on eight hits across six innings, striking out five and walking two for Washington (62-89), which has dropped five of its last seven. Daylen Lile had two hits, while Jacob Young, CJ Abrams and Jorge Alfaro each drove in a run.
After the Nationals’ Dylan Crews walked and Brady House singled with one out in the second inning, Young’s RBI base hit scored the game’s first run. Abrams’ sacrifice fly then gave Washington a 2-0 lead.
Atlanta’s Ha-Seong Kim and Harris singled to put runners on the corners with one out in the fourth, before Eli White’s run-scoring groundout and Vidal Brujan’s RBI double knotted the score at two apiece.
Profar followed with his 14th homer of the season and Olson then hit his 27th of the year, extending the Braves’ lead to 5-2.
Kim, Harris and Brujan singled in the eighth off reliever Orlando Ribalta to give Atlanta a 6-2 advantage.
Lile tripled and then scored on Alfaro’s RBI single in the bottom of the eighth to cut Washington’s deficit to 6-3 off reliever Pierce Johnson.
