WASHINGTON — Streaking slugger Bryce Harper doubled, singled and drove in another run — but didn’t homer — as the Washington Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 5-4 Sunday for a sweep of the three-game series.
Harper had hit six home runs in his previous three games. He doubled home a run, giving him 13 RBIs in four games, and also scored once.
Wilson Ramos hit a tiebreaking double to cap a two-run rally in the eighth inning, sending the Nationals to their 10th win in 12 games. Ramos and Ryan Zimmerman each had a double, single and two RBIs.
Sammy Solis (1-0) pitched one inning for his first major league win and Drew Storen closed for his ninth save.
Ian Desmond singled to open the eighth off Cody Martin (1-2) and Jayson Werth walked. After Harper popped out, Zimmerman hit a tying single, but Werth was tagged out after rounding second and falling. Ramos then doubled to the deep right.
Freddie Freeman had two hits and scored twice for Atlanta, and pitcher Alex Wood had three hits and an RBI.
With Freeman on first and no outs in the seventh, pinch hitter Jonny Gomes lifted a fly to right centre. Harper was lining up for the catch near the warning track, but lost the ball in the sun and it fell in for a single.
Freeman made it to third and scored the go-ahead run on Alberto Callaspo’s flare to short right.
Washington starter Jordan Zimmermann allowed three runs on eight hits over six innings.
Wood gave up three runs in the first. Looking for his first win since April 7, he gave up eight hits, struck out seven and walked one in 6 2-3 innings.
His three hits doubled the three he collected in 68 at-bats before Sunday.
With two outs and a runner on second, manager Fredi Gonzalez elected to have the left-handed Wood pitch to the lefty Harper in the first. The result was a shot to centre that Cameron Maybin couldn’t haul in on the warning track.
Zimmerman followed with a double, Ramos extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a single, and Washington led 3-0.
The Braves got two runs back in the second inning on RBI singles by Maybin and Wood, and tied it in the third when Jace Peterson’s two-out single scored Freeman.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: OF Nate McLouth (right shoulder surgery) has started hitting as part of his rehab work in Viera, Florida.
ON DECK
Braves: Shelby Miller (4-1, 1.66), coming off a three-hit shutout against the Phillies, pitches the opener of a series at Cincinnati.
Nationals: Stephen Strasburg (2-3, 4.73), who left his last start after three innings with an alignment issue under his shoulder blade, is due to pitch Monday night at Arizona, but the team hasn’t announced a starter. Strasburg could be pushed back a day, with Max Scherzer (2-3, 2.11) moving up. He’d be starting on full rest after an off-day last Thursday.
