Washington Nationals 3-1 over Atlanta Braves: Gio Gonzalez impresses again...

Gio Gonzalez gave up his second run of the Spring in the fourth inning of today’s Grapefruit League game against the Atlanta Braves.

Tyler Flowers took Gonzalez deep, connecting for a solo shot to center field, but it was the only run Gonzalez allowed in 4 ¹⁄₃ IP in what ended up a 3-1 Nationals’ win in West Palm Beach when Pedro Severino and Clint Robinson drove in runs in the bottom of the seventh to break up what was a 1-1 tie to that point.

Here’s how it happened:

• Gio Gonzalez didn't seem to like home plate ump Mike Estabrook's strike zone early in this afternoon’s game, but he worked around a leadoff walk, one-out HBP and single in a 21-pitch first as the Braves wasted a bases-loaded opportunity.

Gonzalez retired the side in order in a 13-pitch second, and followed that up with a 1-2-3 third, giving him eight straight batters set down and three scoreless overall.

His streak of retired batters and shutout bid ended there, however, when Tyler Flowers led off the fourth with a solo shot to center that tied things up at 1-1.

Gonzalez worked around a two-out single by Matt Tuiasosopo to finish four innings on 71 pitches.

One out into the fifth, Gonzalez was lifted from the game after throwing a total of 76 pitches.

Gio Gonzalez’s Line: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 Ks, 1 HR, 76 P, 8/1 GO/FO.

• Ryan Zimmerman improved to 9 for 13 in his last six games with a leadoff, infield single in the Nationals’ second, and he took third on a Stephen Drew double before scoring on a sac fly to right by Wilmer Difo.

A one-out single in the fourth made it 10 for Zim’s last 14 and 10 for 31 over 15 games this Spring.

Enny Romero throws heat in WBC debut...

Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

LINK: Nationals’ reliever Enny Romero impresses in World Baseball Classic

• Matt Albers finished off the fifth after taking over for Gio Gonzalez, retiring the only two batters he faced.

• Adam Lind and Adam Eaton hit-back-to-back, one-out singles in the Nationals’ half of the fifth, loading the bases after Emmanuel Burriss started the frame with a hit.

• Enny Romero returned from an impressive run with the Dominican Republic in the WBC with a scoreless, 13-pitch sixth in which he worked around a two-out double. (Fastball - 96, slider - 91, curve - 81 acc to Braves’ announce team).

• Shawn Kelley struck out two batters in a scoreless seventh inning. Still 1-1.

• Emmanuel Burriss and Pedro Severino hit back-to-back, one-out doubles off Braves’ righty Chaz Roe in the home-half of the seventh, with Severino’s driving in the tie-breaking run, 2-1, and Clint Robinson followed with an RBI single that put the Nats up by two, 3-1.

• Sammy Solis struck out the side around a one-out walk for a scoreless eighth inning.

• Rafael Martin worked a scoreless ninth to end it.

Final Score: 3-1 Nationals.