Washington Nationals nail down 7-2 win against Atlanta Braves at Turner Field - MLB Update
Catcher Jesus Flores contributes two RBIs as the Washington Nationals out-class the Atlanta Braves 7-2 at Turner Field, Atlanta, Georgia on May 27, 2012 in third game of the three match series.
The Braves started with one run lead in the first, before strengthening it further in the third.
Just when the Braves can thing of taking it to an unreachable level, the Nationals launched an attack in the top of the fourth.
They blew the lead. Converting the tie into a convincing lead, the Nationals went rampant in the sixth inning. After the sixth, the Nationals had just to keep the Braves quiet from other side and wait for a winning moment.
Right fielder, Bryce Harper stood out for the Nationals. By hitting a home-run in four at-bats, he has become one of the best in the Nationals' line-up, in terms of slugging percentage.
Speaking about his comfort on plate, Bryce said, he has now come a long way and has found the right composure.
"I feel really comfortable up there right now," Harper said. "I'm not trying to do too much. ... Having guys hitting around me has been huge. We've been scoring a lot of runs."
First baseman, Adam LaRoche continues to be the spearhead in the Nationals’ offence. With slugging percentage standing at .538, he made two hits in three at-bats on Sunday.
Nationals’ starter Gio Gonzalez keeps horrifying batters with his fastballs. By striking-out 10, he has strengthened his credentials for becoming a pitcher, with highest number of strike-outs at the end of the season.
He threw seven innings and gave up two runs. Manager Davey Johnson shared his views about how he felt about Gonzalez, by the time he was being traded.
Although Gonzalez was always known for his power, but never the manager expected him to be as good as he has been in the season.
"No, he's better than I expected," Johnson said. "I knew he was a good pitcher. I knew he made the All-Star team with Oakland. But I thought he was a little wilder."
The way offence stepped up and brought nine hits for the Nationals, the manager will be relieved, at-least for a while. He will be looking forward to consistency by the hitters ahead in the season.
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