The Atlanta Braves captured their 10,000th win in franchise history with an 11-1 victory over the Washington Nationals. Tim Hudson turned in another sterling performance and the Braves offense took advantage of five Nationals errors while also banging out 13 hits. The result was a blow out win for a milestone victory and a solid start to the second half of the season.
Martin Prado returned from the disabled list and picked up right where he left off with two hits including his ninth homer and two RBI's. Prado played stepped in at third base for the injured Chipper Jones while hitting second in the lineup. Freddie Freeman also recorded two hits including a double and drove home three more runs to continue his hot streak. Every Braves starter in the lineup recorded at least one hit.
Ironically the Nationals struck first in this game scoring their lone run of the night in the first on a Ryan Zimmerman ground out. Atlanta wasted little time in answering back as they took advantage of some sloppy Washington defense while scoring four times in the bottom half of the first.
Jordan Schafer led off the inning by reaching and advancing to second on a couple of errors by first baseman Michael Morse. After a Prado fly out and a Heyward walk, Freddie Freeman tied the game with an RBI single to right that scored Schafer. Dan Uggla followed with a double to give Atlanta a 2-1 lead. Freeman then scored to make it 3-1 after shortstop Ian Desmond committed Washington's third error of the inning on a David Ross grounder. Nate McLouth followed with a single to center that extended the lead to 4-1. Alex Gonzalez also followed with yet another single but Ross was thrown out at the plate for the second out of the inning. Hudson popped up to the catcher to end the inning.
Atlanta would add single runs in both the third and the fourth innings. Hudson singled home Ross in the third while Prado hit his ninth home run of the season into the left field seats in the fourth.
Atlanta would blow the game wide open in the sixth against lefty reliever Ross Detwiler scoring three more times on three hits, two walks, and another Nationals error. The Braves added two more runs in the seventh on a Freddie Freeman double to the left centerfield gap.
Tim Hudson scattered seven hits over seven innings while allowing just the single run in the first inning. Scott Linebrink and George Sherrill each pitched a scoreless inning for the Braves although Linebrink did have to pitch out of a jam in the eighth.
Livan Hernandez deserved a better fate than falling to 5-9 on the season after allowing six runs in four innings of work with only three of those runs earned thanks to the sub par defense from the Nationals.