Washington Nationals shut out for first time in 87 games in 2017 in 13-0 loss to Atlanta Braves...

Washington Nationals’ right-hander Stephen Strasburg struggled this afternoon in the nation’s capital, giving up seven hits and six runs (3 ER) in just three innings of work on the mound.

Strasburg also took a line drive off of his hip before he was lifted from what ended up a 13-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves.

He stayed in the game after the liner caught him flush on the hip, but was ineffective, generating just three swinging strikes with the 65 pitches he threw in what ended up being his shortest outing of the season.

Kurt Suzuki and Julio Teheran hit RBI singles in the second, and Suzuki, Teheran, and Matt Kemp drove in runs with singles in the third, as the Braves jumped out to a 6-0 lead, and they added to it with an RBI single by Ender Inciarte in the sixth, and a solo shot by Nick Markakis in the seventh, with both those runs off Tanner Roark.

Roark came on in the fourth and did the yeoman’s work after Strasburg’s brief start, going five innings in relief, but the Nats fell to 6-6 against the Braves on the season, and 2-4 vs Atlanta in Washington, D.C.

The 13-0 loss was the Nationals’ first shutout loss of the season, ending a streak of 86-straight games to start the season without one, leaving the New York Yankees as the only team in the majors that hasn’t been shut out in 2017.

Nationals now 51-36

HERE’S HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Bryce Harper improved to 17 for 37 (.351 AVG) career vs Braves’ right-hander Julio Teheran with a one-out single in the Nationals’ first, but he was stranded, along with Ryan Zimmerman, two outs later.

• Nick Markakis sent a wicked spinning pop to short left that bounced by a charging Adam Lind for a one-out double in the Braves’ second. Strasburg fell behind Matt Adams, 2-0, so the Nats put the slugger (who started the game 6 for 17 with two doubles and two home runs career vs Strasburg) on with an intentional pass, and Kurt Suzuki came up next with an RBI single that brought Markakis around, 1-0. Julio Teheran helped his own cause with a two-out RBI single to left, 2-0, after one and a half.

• Notorious Nats-killer Freddie Freeman doubled to left-center with one down in the Braves’ half of the third, and an RBI single to center in the next at bat brought him in for the third run of the game for Atlanta, 3-0.

Nick Markakis followed with a liner back to the mound, and off Strasburg’s hip that Strasburg recovered, but he threw by second going for a double play, putting runners on first and third with one out for Suzuki, who brought Kemp in with a two-out single, 4-0, before Teheran did it again, this time with a two-run single to center, 6-0 after two and a half.

• Stephen Strasburg’s Line: 3.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 65 P, 42 S, 5/2 GO/FO.

• Tanner Roark took over for Strasburg in the fourth, and tossed two scoreless on 21 pitches in relief, keeping it at 6-0 Braves, but leadoff and one-out singles in the sixth, by Johan Carmago and Ender Inciarte, respectively, with a sac bunt in between, added another run, 7-0.

• Nick Markakis hit a 3-2 two-seamer out to right on a line in the seventh to put the Braves up 8-0 on the Nationals. Johan Carmago doubled and scored in the eighth, 9-0.

• Julio Teheran’s Line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 Ks, 96 P, 67 S, 11/4 GO/FO.

• Rex Brothers tossed a scoreless eighth.

• Sammy Solis got knocked around with a walk (to Freddie Freeman), two singles (by Matt Kemp and Nick Markakis), and a three-run home run (by Matt Adams) from the first four batters he faced in the top of the ninth, 13-0 Braves.

• Akeel Morris finished off the shutout with a scoreless ninth. Ballgame. 13-0 ATL.

NATIONALS PREGAME NOTES:

• After last night’s win, Washington is 122-110 in the all-time series with Atlanta, and 6-4 against the Braves this season, though they’re still just 2-3 in Nationals Park.
• Last night’s comeback win was the Nationals’ 22nd come-from-behind win of the season and the seventh walk-off win of the year.
• Washington’s offense started the night leading the NL in AVG (.278), OBP (.345), SLG (.470), hits (838), extra-base hits (316), runs scored (476), and RBIs (462).
• JINX CORNER: Washington extended its streak of 86-straight games played this season without being shut out, and the Nationals are the only team in the NL that hasn’t been shut out this season.
• Nationals’ starters currently lead the majors in WHIP (1.19), opponents’ batting average (.232), opponents’ slugging percentage (.382) and they rank third in the majors with a combined 3.65 ERA.
• This afternoon’s start is the fourth of the year for Stephen Strasburg against the Braves. He went (2-0) in the previous three, with a 4.58 ERA and a .234/.268/.416 line against in 19 ²⁄₃ IP.

Nationals now 51-36