Washington Nationals Blow Lead In Ninth, Lose 6-4 To Atlanta Braves On Ramiro Pena's 2-Run 10th Inning HR

Ross Detwiler threw an 0-2 fastball by Andrelton Simmons to start the first game of three between the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves in Washington, D.C. Jason Heyward went the other way with a 2-0 fastball outside and lined to left for a one-out single off the Nats' 27-year-old lefty, but Detwiler popped Justin Upton up to right after falling behind in the second straight at bat. Two down, and the Nationals' starter got up 0-2 on the Braves' out-of-nowhere early season success story, Evan Gattis, and got a sharp grounder to first that the Nats' Gold Glove-winning first baseman Adam LaRoche was able to handle. 13-pitch frame by Detwiler, 0-0 after a half.

Nats' leadoff man Denard Span reached safely on a swinging bunt toward third that ATL 3B Chris Johnson played before making a high throw that pulled Gattis off the bag on the first play of Gattis' first game at first base in the majors. Span stole his second base of the year while Jayson Werth struck out for the first out of the home-half of the frame. Braves' right-hander Julio Teheran got behind Bryce Harper and threw a 2-1 fastball outside to the Nats' 20-year-old outfielder who hit it out to left on a line drive that cleared the fence just about the Nats' Youth Baseball Academy sign for a two-run blast and a 2-0 lead.. No.5 of 2013 for Harper. Adam LaRoche and Ian Desmond hit back-to-back two-out singles after Harper's home run, but Danny Espinosa popped to foul territory behind first to strand two runners at the end of a two-run first.

• Note from the Nats:

According to @eliassports, Bryce Harper is now just the 2nd 20-year-old to hit 5 HR in his first 10 games of a season. #Nationals

— Nationals PR (@NationalsPR) April 12, 2013

• Harper's HR:

• Ross Detwiler walked Dan Uggla, who was 0 for 10 w/ four walks in his career vs Det before today, with one down in the Braves' second, but Detwiler dropped an 0-2 slider on an unsuspecting, swinging Chris Johnson for out no.2 of the frame. A two-out walk to Gerald Laird brought the opposing pitcher up, but Detwiler got a weak groundout to end a 22-pitch frame at 35 overall. 2-0 Nats on Harper's blast. Kurt Suzuki worked a nine-pitch walk to start the Nats' second, allowing Ross Detwiler to bunt him over/give up an out, and Denard Span followed with an RBI single to left-center that scored Suzuki from there to make it 3-0 Nats. Span took second on an ill-advised throw home, then scored himself when Jayson Werth singled to right in the next AB. 4-0 Nationals over the Braves and Teheran after two. 44 pitches for Teheran.

Ross Detwiler threw a quick, six-pitch, 1-2-3 3rd vs Atlanta, putting him at 41 pitches total on the night. Julio Teheran did Det one better, getting through the bottom of the frame on just five pitches, but he was at 49 overall. A 2-2 fastball to Dan Uggla (0 for 11) and got the Braves' second baseman swinging for the final out of a 1-2-3 fourth by Detwiler in which he threw just 11 pitches to make it 52 total. Six groundouts. Seven-in-a-row set down, but Detwiler was the seventh-straight batter set down by Teheran when the Nats' starter K'd swinging for the second out of a quick bottom of the fourth by the Braves' right-hander. Still 4-0 Nats.

Chris Johnson broke Detwiler's streak of retired batters with a single to right to start the fifth, but he was quickly erased when the Nats' lefty got a 4-6-3 DP out of Braves' backstop Gerald Laird. A swinging K by Teheran ended an 18-pitch frame with Detwiler at 70 pitches overall. Jayson Werth was the ninth-straight better set down by the Braves' starter in the bottom of the fifth. Evan Gattis missed a pop foul of first by Bryce Harper, giving the Nats' slugger a second chance in his fifth inning at bat, and Harper worked a walk in an 11-pitch AB that ended Teheran's streak of Nationals set down at nine. Two outs later, Harper and LaRoche, who walked with two down, were stranded when Ian Desmond K'd swinging to end the fifth. Still 4-0 Nats.

A pop and groundout to second got Ross Detwiler the first two outs of the sixth from Andrelton Simmons and Jason Heyward, respectively, but Justin Upton connected for the Braves' third hit with two down, doubling off the very top of the out-of-town scoreboard on a play that was reviewed and correctly ruled a double. Detwiler got up 0-2 on Evan Gattis and struck him out with a high heater on his 79th pitch of the game. Nine-pitch frame. 4-0 Nats. Danny Espinosa, Kurt Suzuki and Ross Detwiler went down in order in the bottom of the inning, and Teheran was at 97 pitches overall after six.

B.J. Upton popped to short. Dan Uggla flew to right. Chris Johnson flew ou-- ... homered? The solo blast by the Braves' third baseman soared out to center and over the 402 ft sign on the center field wall. 4-1 Nationals in the seventh. Atlanta's fourth hit of the night. Gerald Laird's groundout to first ended an 11-pitch frame with Ross Detwiler at 90 pitches overall. Luis Ayala retired the Nationals in order in the eighth, setting Span, Werth and Harper down to leave the Nats hitless since Jayson Werth's one-out single in the second.

• Ross Detwiler's Line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 Ks, 1 HR, 90 P, 58 S, 9/3 GO/FO

Tyler Clippard popped pinch hitter Jordan Schafer up to the corner in left where Bryce Harper caught the first out of the eighth. Andrelton Simmons popped out to right. Jason Heyward worked a two-out walk in a patient at bat and Justin Upton lined a single to right with two down. Two on, two out for Evan Gattis. Clippard got behind Gattis, 3-0, and missed with a 3-1 pitch to load the bases. Clippard missed with a 1-2 slider inside to B.J. Upton, missed with the 2-2 pitch and walked the elder Upton brother to force in a run. 4-2 Nationals. Drew Storen came out of the pen to face Dan Uggla, and got a long fly ball to center for the final out of the Braves' eighth.

Ryan Zimmerman singled to start the Nats' eighth, but was doubled up on a grounder to second by Adam LaRoche. Ian Desmond singled off Braves' right-hander Jordan Walden with two down, stole second with Danny Espinosa at the plate, but was stranded when the Nationals' second baseman grounded out to first. Still 4-2 Nationals.

Drew Storen came back out for the ninth. Chris Johnson hit a soft liner to right-center for a leadoff single. Ramiro Pena bunted his way on, dropping a perfect one down the third base line to bring the go-ahead run to the plate with no one out. Blake DeWitt hit for Jordan Walden, dropping down a sac bunt and Andrelton Simmons stepped in with runners on second and third and one down. Storen got up 0-2 quickly and dropped an 0-2 slider inside for a called strike three on Simmons. Two down. Jason Heyward? Storen missed inside with a 2-1 pitch, and issued a two-out, base-loading walk to bring Justin Upton up with two out. Upton grounded to third, where Ryan Zimmerman made the play, but Zim's throw to second sailed right by the bag and into right. Two runs score. 4-4. An Evan Gattis' groundout ended the frame. Tie game.

Braves' lefty Eric O'Flaherty got help from Dan Uggla, who leapt for a liner toward right off Kurt Suzuki's bat. Tyler Moore flew out to center for out no.2 and Denard Span's fly to right-center ended the ninth.

Free Baseball!!

Craig Stammen gave up a one-out walk, but had two outs when Ramiro Pena stepped in and launched a 1-0 fastball to right and into the Nationals' bullpen for a two-run blast that made it 6-4 Braves. Stammen got out of the top of the tenth, but the Braves had the lead. Craig Kimbrel got a fly to left from Jayson Werth for out no.1 of the Nats' 10th. Bryce Harper K'd swinging for out no.2 and Ryan Zimmerman grounded weakly to third. Ballgame. Braves take the first of three in D.C.

Nationals lose, 6-4 final.

Nats now 7-3.