Olsen, Nats beat Braves 5-3
Left-hander Scott Olsen came within one out of recording the first complete game of his career, going 8 2/3 innings while allowing three runs on eight hits in the Nationals 5-3 victory over the Braves.
Olsen, who allowed a two-out, two-run homer to Nate McLouth in the ninth, looked like the pitcher the Nationals thought they were getting when they signed him in the off-season.
Closer Mike MacDougal allowed a single to Martin Prado and walked Chipper Jones before getting Brian McCann to ground out to firstand record his fifth save of the season.
Olsen walked a season-high five batters and struck out five, but most importantly, pitched ahead of the Braves hitters, throwing first-pitch strikes to 25 of the 37 batters he faced.
The win, Olsen's first since April 29th, is the Nationals second straight, thus giving them the series win, their first since taking two of three from the Blue Jays from June 19-21.
Washington got to Braves starter Derek Lowe in the first when Nyjer Morgan led off with a single, stole second and scored on Ryan Zimmerman's single.
Zimmerman was named to his first All-Star game just before the first pitch this afternoon.
In the second, the Nationals made it a 3-0 game when Ronnie Belliard doubled home Cristian Guzman and Olsen's single plated Belliard. Olsen went 2-3 on the day.
Atlanta got a run back in the third on Jones' sac fly. That was all the Braves would get on the afternoon until the ninth as Olsen kept the Atlanta hitters off balance most of the day.
From the fourth thru the sixth, Olsen only allowed two walks and one was erased on an inning-ending double play.
Nick Johnson's RBI single with the bases loaded in the sixth tacked on an insurance run, putting the nationals up 4-1.
Olsen got out of two late inning jams. In the seventh Matt Diaz and Casey Kotchman singled with one out, but Olsen got pinch-hitter Jeff Francoeur and Nate McLouth to fly out to end the inning.
In the eighth, Olsen walked two batters with two down, bringing manager Manny Acta to the mound. Acta left Olsen in and he struck out Garret Anderson to end the inning.
In the bottom of the frame, Morgan doubled home Belliard, who singled and moved to second on Olsen's sac bunt.
Morgan went 3-5 with a double, RBI, run and stolen base. He also threw out Prado trying to stretch a single into a double in the eight. It was his seventh outfield assist and first as a National.
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Good series win!
Mac is starting to scare me. His fastball moves so much he's been getting into trouble these last two games.
Now lets hope Stammen can go more than 4 good innings tomorrow!
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It's a bit nerve racking, but he's getting the job done. What's amazing is MacDougal is throwing nothing but fastballs. He didn't throw one other pitch today. Pete