Washington Nationals 3-2 over Atlanta Braves with late rally: Aníbal Sánchez faces former team...

Starters: Washington’s hitters, at least according to what the announcers doing Atlanta’s radio broadcast saw, had a tough time figuring out Braves’ starter Max Fried’s curve.

Fried tossed five scoreless against the Nationals, working around five hits (all singles), a walk, and an error.

Aníbal Sánchez, who pitched for the Braves in 2018, before signing a 2-year/$19M deal with the Nationals this winter, tossed two scoreless before the home team got on the board this afternoon in Lake Buena Vista, FL’s Champion Stadium.

Austin Riley hit a one-out double off Sánchez in the home-half of the third, and scored on a two-out RBI single by Ender Inciarte, 1-0, then homered off Sánchez with two out in the fifth, putting the Braves up 2-0 with his first home run of the Spring, and the first home run off of the Nationals’ No. 4 starter in Grapefruit League action this year.

Sánchez was done for the day after five innings on the mound in which he gave up five hits, a walk, and two runs, both earned, striking out three and inducing six groundouts and three fly ball outs from the 19 batters he faced.

BULLPEN ACTION: Vidal Nuño took over for Sánchez in the bottom of the sixth inning, and worked around a two-out double for a scoreless frame. Still 2-0 ATL.

Taylor Guilbeau, a 25-year-old lefty selected in the 10th Round of the 2015 Draft, gave up a leadoff double and one-out single before he was replaced on the mound by Wander Suero, who retired the next two batters to keep it a two-run deficit after seven.

Henderson Álvarez got the eighth for the Nationals, and tossed a quick, 1-2-3 inning, and the Nationals rallied against righty Elian Leyva in the ninth, with Austin Davidson walking, and scoring on a double by Kameron Esthay before Collin Cowgill hit a two-run home run that put the visiting team on top, 3-2.

Derek Self, a 2012 9th Round pick by the Nationals, got the ninth inning this afternoon, after the Nats took the lead, and the right-hander retired the side in order to end it. Ballgame.