Keibert Ruiz hits 7-run homer in 4th inning as Nationals beat Braves 8-5

WASHINGTON — Keibert Ruiz homered in a seven-run fourth inning and the Washington Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 8-5 on Sunday, spoiling Hurston Waldrep’s major league debut.

CJ Abrams drove in three runs for Washington, which has won the last three of Atlanta’s four and improved to 6-2 this season against the Braves.

“This group is fun, they play with a lot of energy and it showed in this last series,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “Seventeen games in a row without a day off, they go out and fight and struggle. These last few matches were incredible.

Atlanta has lost four of five and, at 35-28, is nine games behind Philadelphia in the NL East. This is the first time the Braves have had just seven games over .500 since going 12-5 on April 17.

Waldrep, the Braves’ first-round pick in the 2023 draft who was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett earlier Sunday, was undeterred by a 35-minute weather delay early on. The 22-year-old right-hander went through three innings without allowing a hit. He is the fourth member of last year’s draft class to reach the majors and the second pitcher — along with Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes — to do so.

He was about to escape a two-on-one jam, before Luis García Jr. launched an RBI single to left. Ruiz then hit a fastball on the first pitch to a three-run homer in the Nationals bullpenwhere reliever Jacob Barnes caught it between warm-up pitches.

“I feel a lot better at the plate than when I came back (from) the flu (at the end of April),” said Ruiz, who added a sacrifice fly in the fifth and hit .291 in his last 16 games, increasing his score in the process. . average of 0.157 to 0.202. “I feel like I’m hitting the ball better.”

Waldrep (0-1) sandwiched two walks around a single to load the bases before finishing his out. Abrams hit reliever Aaron Bummer’s first pitch in the right cornerscoring three points and making the score 7-2.

Waldrep allowed seven runs in 3 2/3 innings.

“It started out great and baseball happened,” Waldrep said. “I had some unlucky breaks and also gave up some hits that I didn’t need to give up and missed some pitches, walked some guys. It’s like that. It’s part of the game.”

The seven runs scored were the most in an inning for Washington since they had eight in the sixth inning at Kansas City on May 26, 2023.

Barnes (3-2) pitched a scoreless inning to earn the victory. Kyle Finnegan recorded the final three outs for his 18th save in 20 attempts after Jarred Kelenic’s three-run home run against Jordan Weems in the ninth brought the Braves within three.

Atlanta’s Michael Harris II opened the scoring with an RBI single in the second half before Washington starter DJ Herz struggled to take command. Orlando Arcia walked four pitches, and Herz’s first pitch to Kelenic was up and down, but grazed Kelenic’s bat. Kelenic objected when Herz hit his head later at bat. Herz’s next pitch was his second wild pitch of the inning, allowing Travis d’Arnaud to score.

Herz allowed two runs in 4 1/3 innings in his second major league start.

TRAINERS ROOM

Braves: Atlanta optioned RHP Daysbel Hernández to Gwinnett and moved OF Ronald Acuña Jr. (torn ACL) to the 60-day injured list to make room for Waldrep.

Nationals: RHP Josiah Gray (forearm flexor strain) allowed three runs in three innings Sunday for Class A Fredericksburg. Gray struck out two and walked one in the outing, his first since being placed on the injured list on April 9.

FOLLOWING

Braves: Atlanta is off Monday. LHP Max Fried (6-2, 2.93 ERA) will start the first of a three-game series at Baltimore on Tuesday.

Nationals: Washington is also off Monday. The Nationals will start LHP Mitchell Parker (4-3, 3.47 ERA) when they begin a three-game series Tuesday at Detroit.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb