Washington Nationals drop 2 of 3 to Atlanta Braves with 4-3 loss in extras in series finale

Austin Voth gave up just four hits and two runs (both on solo home runs) in six innings of work this afternoon in his 2019 debut in the majors, throwing 83 pitches and striking out seven batters total, a career-high in the big leagues.

Atlanta led 2-0 after six and a half in Washington, D.C., but Juan Soto got the home team on the board with a solo home run to right off Braves’ lefty Grant Dayton, and three singles in a row followed, with Matt Adams, Howie Kendrick, and Gerardo Parra connecting for hits that tied things up at 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh.

It was still tied at 2-2 in the top of the tenth when Nationals’ reliever Tanner Rainey gave up a one-out walk to Ozzie Albies, and a two-run home run to right by Johan Camargo that gave the Braves a 4-2 lead and eventually two out of three in the nation’s capital with a 4-3 win.

Voth vs Atlanta: It was rumored that Joe Ross would end up starting today’s series finale with the Braves, but the Nationals ended up using the right-hander in last night’s game.

After the 13-9 loss, Nats’ skipper Davey Martinez announced that it would be Austin Voth getting the nod in the third of three with the Braves in D.C.

Voth, 26 (for a few more days), started the season at Triple-A Fresno, where he was (3-5) in 12 starts, with a 4.40 ERA, a 3.75 FIP, 15 walks (2.20 BB/9), and 68 Ks (9.98 K/9) in 61 ¹⁄₃ IP.

Going up against Atlanta’s Braves today in the series finale in Nationals Park, Voth tossed three quick, scoreless frames on 40 pitches, working around a single by Josh Donaldson, but the veteran third baseman got him again in the top of the fourth, hitting a 1-0 slider up in the zone out to center for a solo home run, his 15th of the season, which put the visiting team up 1-0.

Ronald Acuña, Jr. got Voth for another solo home run in the top of the sixth, on a 2-1 heater that went out to left-center, 2-0, but he held the Braves there and completed six innings on 83 pitches before he was done for the day.

Austin Voth’s Line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 Ks, 2 HRs, 83 P, 57 S, 5/5 GO/FO.

Soroka vs Washington: Mike Soroka, 21, and a 2015 Braves’ first-round pick, was unbeaten in 11 starts coming into this afternoon’s matchup with the Nationals, after losing in his 2019 debut, in spite of the fact that he gave up just one run on four hits in five innings on the hill in that outing.

Over the last eleven starts, the rookie was (8-0) with a 2.14 ERA, 17 walks, 56 strikeouts, and a .202/.264/.267 line against in 71 ¹⁄₃ IP before today.

Going up against the Nats for the first time in career this afternoon, the right-hander tossed two quick, scoreless frame on 21 pitches, but he took a fastball from Austin Voth to the right forearm in his first at bat of the game, slamming his bat to the ground in frustration after he was hit, and leaving the game once the medical staff checked him out between innings...

Mike Soroka’s Line: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 21 P, 16 S, 2/1 GO/FO.

Recent Run: The Nationals’ season-high, five-game win streak was snapped in Saturday night’s loss, but Davey Martinez’s squad came into the series finale with the Braves this afternoon with wins in five of six, six of eight, nine of their last 13, and 18 of their previous 26 games going back to May 24, with their 18-8 record over that stretch, the second-best in Major League Baseball, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were 21-7 in that same period.

BULLPEN ACTION: Josh Tomlin took over on the mound for the Braves in the bottom of the third, and tossed a scoreless, nine-pitch frame, working around a leadoff single to left field by Gerardo Parra.

Tomlin retired the side in order in the fourth and fifth innings to keep the Braves up, 1-0, and was up to 12-straight batters set down after a 1-2-3 sixth.

Javy Guerra needed nine pitches to get through a 1-2-3 top of the seventh.

Lefty Grant Dayton got the bottom of the seventh for the Braves and retired the first two batters he faced before giving up a solo home run to right on a first-pitch curve that got over the out-of-town scoreboard in right to get the Nationals on the board down 2-1.

Matt Adams followed with a single that sent Dayton to the showers, with Braves’ manager Brian Snitker turning to right-hander Jacob Webb, who gave up a single to center field by Howie Kendrick and a game-tying line drive to left-center by Gerardo Parra, 2-2.

Wander Suero worked around a leadoff single in the Braves’ half of the eighth, getting an out on a fly ball to center by Ronald Acuña, Jr. and a 5-4-3 DP out of Dansby Swanson in a seven-pitch frame.

Anthony Swarzak gave up a leadoff single to left-center by Brian Dozier in the first at bat of the bottom of the eighth, and Trea Turner bunted his way on when no one got over to first base on the roller to the right side.

Adam Eaton bunted into a force at third for out No. 1, bringing Anthony Rendon to the plate runners on first and second, but a grounder to second started an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP.

Sean Doolittle came on in a 2-2 game in the ninth and worked around a two-out single in a 19-pitch frame.

A.J. Minter retired the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the ninth innning, then walked Howie Kendrick to extend the inning and bring Gerardo Parra to the plate, but a swinging K sent it to extras.

Tanner Rainey walked Ozzie Albies with one down in the top of the tenth inning, then gave up a two-run home run to right on a 97 MPH 2-1 fastball to Johan Camargo in the next at bat, 4-2 Braves.

Luke Jackson came in the save opportunity in the bottom of the tenth and walked the first batter he faced, Yan Gomes. Kurt Suzuki got a pinch hit opportunity and singled over the right side of the infield, sending Gomes around to third. Michael A. Taylor came on to run for Suzuki at first, but was forced out at second on a grounder by Trea Turner on which Gomes scored, 4-3. Adam Eaton singled to left to move Turner to second, and Anthony Rendon stepped in with a runner in scoring position and popped out to foul territory off of first base for out No.2, leaving it up to Juan Soto, who grounded out to short to end the threat.

4-3 Braves final.

Nationals now 37-40