Travis d’Arnaud celebrated his return to the Atlanta lineup with a single that drove in the go-ahead run during the Braves’ 4-2 win over the visiting Washington Nationals on Saturday.
d’Arnaud had not played since being hit by a pitch on the right wrist on Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels. His run-scoring single in the sixth inning against Washington capped a two-run rally and sent the Braves to their third straight win and sixth in the past seven games.
Atlanta remained five games behind Philadelphia in the National League East after the Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals.
The Braves tied the score in the sixth when Matt Olson hit a double off reliever Robert Garcia (2-5) on an 0-2 pitch, just missing a home run, that scored Whit Merrifield. d’Arnaud followed by hitting a fastball up the middle to easily score Olson.
The Braves added an insurance run in the eighth when Ramon Laureano hit a solo homer, his eighth, off reliever Joe La Sorsa.
Atlanta starter Charlie Morton pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on eight hits with two walks and six strikeouts.
Aaron Bummer, Dylan Lee, Grant Holmes and Pierce Johnson combined to allow no runs in the final 3 1/3 innings for the Braves. Bummer (4-2) earned the win and Johnson, with setup man Joe Jimenez and closer Raisel Iglesias unavailable, picked up his second save.
Nationals starter Jake Irvin worked 5 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts. He was the beneficiary of two double plays.
The Braves cut the lead to 2-1 in the fifth inning when Orlando Arcia lined a solo homer to left field for his 13th homer.