For one game at least, the Washington Nationals had some offense as opposed to being offensive.
They'll try to further that momentum Sunday when they try to salvage a split of their four-game series with the Atlanta Braves.The Nationals (55-88) are 14th in the NL in batting average and runs scored and 15th in home runs. But they put it together offensively in an 8-5, 10-inning victory Saturday, matching a season high with five home runs. Ryan Langerhans snapped a 5-all tie with a pinch-hit homer in the 10th after Elijah Dukes hit two round-trippers as Washington overcame blowing a two-run lead in the ninth and won for the ninth time in 12 games.
"You definitely want to try to get the momentum back in a hurry when you go into extra innings like that," said Langerhans, who played for the Braves from 2002-07. "To put us right back in the lead felt really good."
Washington, which will win the season series against Atlanta for the first time since 1992, had hit just six homers in its previous 16 games versus the Braves.
Jo-Jo Reyes (3-10, 5.49 ERA) was able to keep the Nationals in the ballpark eight days ago, but struggled overall and gave up four runs and eight hits in four innings of Atlanta's 9-8, 10-inning loss. The left-hander is 0-6 with a 6.75 ERA in nine starts and 10 overall appearances since his last win on June 13, and the Nationals have roughed him up for 10 runs and 15 hits in 6 1-3 innings the last two times he has faced them.
Atlanta (62-81) is on the verge of its second losing season in three years after a run of 15 straight winning seasons. Chipper Jones went 1-for-4 and is hitting .356, four points less than NL leader Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals.
In what may be a microcosm of the Braves season, they had to settle for tying the game in the ninth when Kelly Johnson's bases-loaded double took a hop into the stands, sending potential go-ahead run Brent Lillibridge back to third.
"I knew right away it bounced - and not our way," said Johnson, who stood on second base, holding his head in his hands, after realizing Lillibridge had to return to third base.
Nationals starter Collin Balester (3-6, 4.75) gets his second crack at the Braves in eight days. The 22-year-old failed to get a decision last Sunday, giving up four runs and six hits in seven innings before the Nationals rallied for an 8-4 victory.
After winning his major league debut at Florida on July 1, the right-hander is 0-3 with a 5.82 ERA in his last four starts on the road.
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