WASHINGTON (AP) — Yohandy Morales homered in his first major league game and Jared Simpson earned the win in relief in his own debut, helping the Nationals beat the Braves, 9-5, on Tuesday night.
The Nationals called up Morales and Simpson before the game, with major league rosters expanding from 26 to 28. After striking out his first time up, Morales hit a solo shot in the third inning. Simpson (1-0) entered in the fifth with Washington up 5-2 and induced a double play and a flyout after inheriting a first-and-second, nobody-out situation.
Then he worked two more perfect innings.
The 24-year-old Morales, who hit 25 homers for Triple-A Rochester this year, also singled and doubled in an impressive debut.
AJ Smith-Shawver (0-1) allowed five runs and six hits in four innings. Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II homered for the Braves, whose lead over Philadelphia atop the NL East dropped to 3½ games, with the Phillies playing at Arizona later Tuesday.
Albies homered for the Braves in the second, but Washington answered with four runs in the bottom half. CJ Abrams hit a two-run single with two outs, and Brady House added a two-run double.
Drake Baldwin doubled home a run in the third for Atlanta. Morales went deep leading off the bottom half.
Morales doubled to lead off the seventh, when the Nationals added two more runs. Reliever Brent Suter threw wildly to first on a pickoff attempt for an error, allowing a run to score from third. Then Jacob Young hit an RBI single to make it 8-2.
The 26-year-old Simpson had a 2.30 ERA in 58⅔ innings at Double-A and Triple-A this year. He faced eight batters and got nine outs, striking out three.
The Braves called up veteran infielder Kyle Farmer and 25-year-old right-hander Blake Burkhalter. Burkhalter made his big league debut in the sixth, allowing one run.
Up next
Grant Holmes (9-5, 3.71 ERA) pitches for the Braves on Wednesday against the Nationals’ Jackson Kent (1-2, 5.59).
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