Refresh
Page last updated on Fri Mar 12 12:39:05 EST 2010
RECAP
07/04/2009 5:00 PM EDT
Nationals rally for 5-3 win over Braves
WASHINGTON 5, ATLANTA 3

WASHINGTON(AP) -- A mammoth milestone home run by Adam Dunn was
upstaged by his simple single that helped Washington rally to
beat Atlanta.

Atlanta's Tommy Hanson extended his scoreless innings streak to
26 before Dunn's 300th career homer and the Washington Nationals
rallied for four eighth-inning runs and a 5-3 victory over the
Braves on Saturday.

"That 300th home run would have been hard to talk about. It
would have been a useless home run if we hadn't won the game,"
said Dunn, whose RBI single off Eric O'Flaherty snapped a 3-all
tie.

Hanson departed with a 3-1 lead after seven innings and was in
line for his fifth straight victory before the Braves bullpen
blew up, halting Atlanta's winning streak at a season-high five.

"It was remarkable," said Nationals manager Manny Acta.

Mike Gonzalez (3-1) loaded the bases with one down in the eighth
on a pinch-hit single by Ronnie Belliard and a pair of walks
before Peter Moylan relieved and yielded a two-run, game-tying
single to Ryan Zimmerman.

O'Flaherty replaced Moylan and was greeted by Dunn's decisive
single up the middle on the first pitch he threw. Josh
Willingham followed with an RBI single to left.

"That's the most frustrating part right now. I could really care
less about how I did. Tommy goes out there and does such a great
job, and obviously our offense is doing really well," Gonzalez
said. "We're playing really good ball. Hopefully this doesn't
put a chink in what we're doing right now."

Atlanta's bullpen had pitched to a 3.98 ERA and had retired 167
of 243 first batters faced (69 percent) before Saturday's
implosion.

"It's been terrific. I don't think we're ever due (for a bad
game), but it happens. You're not going to be perfect all the
time," Braves manager Bobby Cox said.

Lannan was the beneficiary of the rally. The left-hander allowed
three runs and nine hits in eight innings, ending Washington's
losing streak at four games. Lannan (6-5) walked one and struck
out one.

Mike MacDougal worked the ninth for his fourth save, escaping a
two-on, one-out jam.

Hanson, who was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett on June 7 to
make his major league debut, took a no-decision in that game and
has yet to lose. He allowed only Nick Johnson's single to center
in the first and a second-inning infield hit by Anderson
Hernandez over the first six innings.

The right-hander walked one and struck out five, lowering his
ERA to 2.25 in a 105-pitch effort.

Acta said Hanson deviated from the video scouting report the
Nationals had on him, not hurting himself with walks and failing
to fall into pitch patterns hitters could recognize.

When asked what was working for him, Hanson said: "I think
everything. I felt good with all my pitches and my command of
everything. I was just trying to keep them off balance and it
worked out."

Dunn hit his milestone blast leading off the seventh, crushing a
2-2 fastball deep into the second deck in right field to ruin
Hanson's shutout bid. The 29-year-old is the fifth player major
league history to reach that total in less than 4,200 at-bats,
succeeding in his 4,145th at-bat. The others are Babe Ruth
(3,830), Mark McGwire (3,837), Ralph Kiner (3,883) and Harmon
Killebrew (3,928).

The Braves took a 1-0 lead in the third on Nate McLouth's RBI
single. Brooks Conrad led off with a single to center, moved to
second on Hanson's sacrifice bunt and scored when McLouth
blooped a single over second base.

In the sixth, McLouth drew a leadoff walk and Martin Prado
followed with a double to left before consecutive RBI singles to
center by Chipper Jones and Garret Anderson made it 3-0.

NOTES: Lannan has thrown six straight quality starts. ...
Atlanta and Washington are tied for the National League lead
with nine victories from rookie starting pitchers. ...
Washington is 3-2 on July 4 since moving from Montreal before
the 2005 season, winning three straight on Independence Day. ...
Braves OF Matt Diaz is 11 for 17 (.647) with five RBIs in his
last five games. ... Dunn's 300th home run ball was caught by
U.S. Army Col. William Sanders, who returned it to Dunn, asking
for nothing in return. Dunn gave him an autographed jersey, a
couple of autographed baseballs and told Sanders to call him if
he ever wanted tickets to a game.

TOP TEN WAGERS
RK Team
1
Ohio State
2
Temple
3
Kentucky
4
Kentucky
5
Duke