Nats take doubleheader opener, gain ground in NL East (updated)

Davey Martinez didn't want his players looking at this week's critical series as a whole, believing there was no good to be had worrying about all four games with the Braves until they'd played the first one.

Well, Martinez's Nationals did exactly what they needed to do it today's matinee opener. And now they get to go for a doubleheader sweep with their ace on the mound.

Behind five strong innings from fill-in starter Jefry Rodriguez, a pair of four-run rallies in the middle innings and then effective work from their bullpen, the Nats emerged with an 8-3 victory in the first game of today's doubleheader on South Capitol Street, setting a decidedly positive tone at the outset of a series that could have a significant impact on their fortunes in the pennant race.

Rodriguez, summoned from Triple-A Syracuse to serve as the 26th man for the doubleheader, allowed just one run over five innings to earn his first major league win. And after his lineup provided a comfortable lead, Martinez was able to avoid using his best relief arms late and save them for a nightcap that will be started by Max Scherzer.

"It's always good, when you play a doubleheader, to win that first one," Martinez said. "Now we've got Max going. Get the guys rested up, get ready for the second one."

The Nationals have now won six of their last seven, and they gained ground on both clubs in front of them in the National League East standings. Heading into tonight's action, they now trail the first-place Phillies by five games, the second-place Braves by 3 1/2 games.

"When things are starting to go your way and you're starting to play good baseball, it's fun," Trea Turner said. "Being on the losing side of it isn't as fun. That's the part that good teams overcome. We're down by this much, or we're losing or we haven't won in this many days ... I feel like good teams don't let that affect them. If we can continue to play the way we are, I think it's going to be a lot of fun."

The circumstances under which this game (the makeup of a July 21 rainout) were played at all were out of the ordinary. Then the game began and it got even weirder.

Braves starter Max Fried had to depart following the bottom of the second, when he took a comebacker from Spencer Kieboom off his left side. (Turns out he strained his left groin musckle twisting around to make the play and was placed on the disabled list after the game.) Then in the bottom of the third, one of the strangest plays you'll ever see took place and left the entire ballpark in a state of confusion.

With a runner (Turner) on first and one out, Juan Soto sent a high flyball to deep left-center. Ender Inciarte jumped and got the ball in his glove for a split-second, but it caromed off that - and, it appeared, off the wall - before Adam Duval reached out and grabbed it out of the air himself. Thinking the ball was caught on the fly, Turner had to race back to first base, sliding in to beat the throw.

As it turned out, though, third base umpire Vic Carapazza immediately ruled the ball wasn't caught (because it touched the wall), so Turner didn't need to return to first base. After a long conference and a check from the Nationals dugout whether a challenge was in order, the umpires ruled Soto out ... not via flyout but because he "passed" Turner on the bases. (The rookie rounded first, and even though he made no attempt to try to advance beyond that, he was technically in fair territory when Turner slid back onto the bag.)

"The only thing I could've done was to find the umpire making the call and react to his call, which isn't really possible and/or the right thing to do," Turner said. "I just wanted to keep my eyes on the ball. I saw him tip it to the other guy and catch it, so in my eyes, run back. It's kind of the safe play, I guess. It stinks, because that could've potentially been a really big play in the game. But it worked out, so move on from it."

The game was still scoreless heading to the fourth in the wake of all that, but the action significantly picked up shortly after. The Braves got on the board first when Johan Camargo sent a two-out RBI single to left, but the Nats had an impressive response in the bottom of the inning.

Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman supplied the power, homering in succession off lefty Kolby Allard to give the Nationals their first lead of the afternoon. Then they kept adding on with two outs, getting a walk from Kieboom, a double from Rodriguez (the first hit of his brief career), then RBI singles from Turner and Soto to cap a four-run rally.

"I don't think we've done a particularly great job of putting together at-bats like that in the first half, but I think since the All-Star Break we've done a better job," Zimmerman said. "I don't really think it's a conscious effort to change the way any of us hit. ... I think it's just grinding it out and trusting the process and getting it going. And, like I said, it's contagious."

Pitching with a lead, Rodriguez then completed the fifth in quick order, and though his pitch count was a mere 64, the rookie was pulled at that point, with Martinez not taking any chances against the heart of the Atlanta lineup and turning to his bullpen right then and there.

"His stuff was good," Martinez said. "He was throwing 94-95, sinking the ball. I was trying to get him a win, I really was. And he deserved it."

Matt Grace gave one run back via two hits in the sixth, but Justin Miller bailed him out to escape the inning without further damage, and that set the stage for another big inning by the Nats lineup.

It involved only two hits, but thanks to four walks (two of them intentional) issued by right-hander Shane Carle, the Nationals again batted around and plated four runs, the RBI coming from Anthony Rendon (sac fly), Harper (opposite-field single) and Zimmerman (two-run double).

Now up six runs, the Nationals bullpen had some margin for error. Turns out they didn't need it. Greg Holland issued a leadoff walk but then struck out three batters in row to complete a scoreless seventh in his club debut. Sammy Solís induced a double play out of Freddie Freeman in a scoreless eighth. And though Wander Suero surrendered a leadoff homer to Charlie Culberson in the ninth, he got through the rest of the inning unscathed and allowed Martinez to save his top relief bullets for the nightcap.

"Very important," Martinez said. "They're good to go for the second game."