clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Braves 7-6 over Nationals in 10 on Justin Upton's walk-off single

The Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves went back-and-forth all night in a game that was tied up at 6-6 after Justin Upton's eighth inning blast, and they needed extra innings to decide this one. It was Upton again in the 10th, who won it with a walk-off single.

By Patrick Reddington
Scott Cunningham

Turner Field Top 5:

5. Quick Recap: The Atlanta Braves started tonight's game scoreless in 13 IP vs Tanner Roark since he debuted against Washington's NL East rivals last August. Roark's scoreless inning streak didn't last long, however, as the Braves keyed on his fastball as he struggled with command of his secondary pitches early and scored four runs in the second on an RBI single by Evan Gattis and a three-run home run by backup shortstop Ramiro Pena. 4-0 Braves early.

The Nationals loaded the bases with one down in the fourth when Adam LaRoche walked and Ryan Zimmerman and Bryce Harper followed with singles. Ian Desmond connected for the third straight hit off Braves' starter Julio Teheran in the at bat that followed as the Nats scored their first run, 4-1 Braves after 3 1/2.

Dan Uggla made an error on a two-out grounder off Adam LaRoche's bat in the Nats' fifth, extending the inning and bringing Ryan Zimmerman to the plate with two on and two out...

Zimmerman stepped up against Teheran and...

Zimmerman's second home run of the year made it a 4-4 game in the fifth.

Tanner Roark gave up a two-out double by Freddie Freeman in the Braves' fifth, and after he left the game, Chris Johnson battled Aaron Barrett in a 10-pitch at bat that ended with an opposite field RBI single to right that put the Braves up 5-4 after five.

Jose Lobaton doubled to left with one down in the fifth and scored from second when pinch hitter Kevin Frandsen lined an 0-2 single to left to tie things up at 5-5.

Bryce Harper bunted his way on, advanced to second on a two-out grounder by Nate McLouth that hit Angel Hernandez in front of second and scored the go-ahead run on a two-out hit by Denard Span. 6-5 Nationals.

Justin Upton hit a 1-2 fastball from Tyler Clippard to deep center field in Turner Field and over the fence for a solo home run that ted things up at 6-6 after eight.

The Nationals and Braves were tied after nine, but the game ended in the tenth when Justin Upton hit a walk-off single to right that scored pinch runner Jordan Schafer from first. Ballgame. 7-6 Braves.

4. Row-Ark: Tanner Roark entered tonight's start against Atlanta with a streak of 13 scoreless innings going against the Nationals' NL East rivals since he made his major league debut against the Braves on August 7th of last season.

Before tonight's start in Turner Field, Roark, 27, was (1-0) in three outings against the Braves, starting one game, and allowing a total of four hits and two walks (1.38 BB/9) by Atlanta's hitters, who struck out 12 times (8.31 BB/9) and posted a .098/.140/.098 line against the former Texas Rangers' prospect who was acquired by the Nats in the July 2010 trade that sent shortstop Cristian Guzman to Arlington.

1st: B.J. Upton reached safely on a one-out grounder Ian Desmond lost in his feet, but Nats' catcher Jose Lobaton took the Braves' center fielder off the basepaths when he threw Upton out trying for second base in the next at bat. Roark hit Freddie Freeman on the front knee with a breaking ball, but the Braves' first baseman was forced out at second on a grounder to short by Chris Johnson that ended a 13-pitch bottom of the first.

2nd: Justin Upton hit a 3-2 fastball inside back up the middle of the infield for a line drive single in the first at bat of the second. Dan Uggla was the second HBP victim of the game, taking a fastball to put two on with no one out in the Braves' half of the inning. Evan Gattis' RBI single to center on a 93 mph 2-1 fastball brought Upton around and the Braves took a 1-0 lead early with their first run off Tanner Roark in 14 IP since his MLB debut vs ATL. The second, third and fourth runs for the Braves off Roark came in the next at bat when shortstop Ramiro Pena took a 91 mph 2-2 fastball for a ride to left and into the left field seats for a three-run home run and a 4-0 Braves' lead.

Roark's 30-pitch second left him at 43 total after two.

3rd: Freddie Freeman lined the first pitch of the third to Bryce Harper in left, but Chris Johnson doubled to left field in the next at bat for the fourth hit of the game off Tanner Roark. Justin Upton was hit by a pitch in the next at bat, the third HBP of the game by Roark, who hit no one in 59 2/3 IP in the majors before tonight, but the Nats' right-hander got a 5-3 DP out of Dan Uggla with a full-count fastball, ending a 12-pitch third inning that left him at 55 overall after three.

4th: Evan Gattis battled for eight pitches before popping out. Ramiro Pena took a 1-1 fastball to center, but it died at the track. Julio Teheran K'd chasing a 2-2 curve outside in the next at bat as Tanner Roark settled in with a 17-pitch bottom of the fourth. 72 pitches overall.

5th: After the Nationals tied it up at 4-4 on Ryan Zimmerman's three-run home run in the top of the fifth, Tanner Roark walked the first batter he faced, Jason Heyward. Roark shattered B.J. Upton's bat with a 1-0 fastball in the next at bat and got a sharp grounder to third that Zimmerman fielded as he avoided the flying barrel, starting a 5-4-3 DP with a throw from his knees. Freddie Freeman's two-out double to right field ended Roark's night 14 pitches into the 5th, with the right-hander at 86 pitches. Aaron Barrett took over there...and battled Chris Johnson in a 10-pitch at bat that ended with an opposite field RBI single that gave Atlanta a 5-4 lead after five.

Roark's Line: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 Ks, 1 HR, 86 P, 49 S, 4/4 GO/FO

3. Teheran: 23-year-old Atlanta Braves' right-hander Julio Teheran allowed three hits, four walks and two earned runs in his April 5th outing against the Nationals, throwing 111 pitches total in seven innings in Nationals Park.

"We had him on the ropes all night," Matt Williams told reporters after the Nats' 6-2 loss. "Had chances with him all night. He made pitches when he had to. Velocity was up early in the game, then it started to dip a little bit. He used his changeup and his breaking ball more, a little more a two-seam fastball later. But we had some chances."

The Nationals came into tonight's game determined to jump on Teheran, swinging early in the count with some success (two hits) but no runs in the first two innings, which the right-hander needed just 15 pitches to complete.

Teheran started the fourth at 30 pitches, after a quick, 15-pitch third, but he needed 27 pitches to get through the fourth as the Nationals loaded the bases and scored a run with a walk and three consecutive singles off the Braves' right-hander. 4-1 Braves after 3 1/2.

Teheran should have been out of the fourth when Adam LaRoche sent a two-out grounder into the shift, but Dan Uggla flubbed a throw to first on the play, bringing Ryan Zimmerman up with two on and two out. Zimmerman started up 3-0 and went to a full count before launching a three-run blast into the left field seats to tie things up at 4-4 after 4 and a 1/2 in Turner Field.

Given another lead to work with in the bottom of the fifth, Teheran gave up the tying run when Jose Lobaton hit a one-out single to left and scored on a Kevin Frandsen single. Frandsen went down for an 0-2 slider and lined it to left to tie things up a 5-5 after five and a half.

Teheran's Line: 6.0 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR, 84 P, 53 S, 7/7 GO/FO.

2. Harper Ticked Off: Matt Williams hoped a start against Julio Teheran would get Nats' slugger Bryce Harper going last week after a slow beginning to his third major league season. Harper entered tonight's game 5 for 13 (.385/.467/1.000) with two doubles and two home runs off Teheran early in their respective careers and singled in each of his first two at bats, loading the bases in the the fourth so that Ian Desmond could drive in the Nationals' first run and make it 4-1.

With his second single of the game, Harper improved to 9 for 34 on the season and 6 for 13 in his last four games.

Harper was 3 for 4 after a bunt single in the eighth and he scored the go-ahead run later that inning after taking second on a grounder by Nate McLouth that hit umpire Angel Hernandez and coming around on a two-out but by Denard Span, 6-5 Nationals.

1.National Det: Ross Detwiler took over for the Nationals in the bottom of the sixth and threw a 15-pitch, 1-2-3 frame to keep it tied up at 5-5.

Adam LaRoche singled with two down in the sixth and took second when Ryan Zimmerman walked. A wild pitch by Jordan Walden got away from Evan Gattis in the next at bat, and LaRoche tried to score from second on the pitch only to get thrown out at the plate on a play that was reviewed and upheld.

Bryce Harper bunted his way on in the eighth and took second two outs later when a Nate McLouth grounder hit umpire Angel Hernandez in front of second base. Denard Span followed with an RBI single that brought Harper around for the go-ahead run. 6-5 Nationals after seven and a half.

Tyler Clippard retired the first batter he faced in the Braves' eighth, but Justin Upton took a 93 mph 1-2 fastball to straight center field for a game-tying blast that made it 6-6 after eight in Turner Field.

Craig Kimbrel took over for Atlanta in the top of the ninth and struck out the side on 15 pitches.

Drew Storen struck out the side on 13 pitches in the bottom of the inning, sending this one to extra innings.

Luis Avilan walked Ian Desmond on four pitches with one down in the top of the tenth, and put Danny Espinosa on intentionally to get to Denard Span with two on and two out, but Span grounded out to short to end the top of the 10th inning.

Jerry Blevins took the mound in the bottom of the inning and gave up a two-out single by Chris Johnson that brought Justin Upton to the plate. Pinch runner Jordan Schafer took over on the basepaths and scored the winning run on a bloop single to center field. Upton wins it with a walk-off. 7-6 final.

Nationals now  7-3.

More From Federal Baseball