Field Level Media
Jun 3, 2018
Atlanta's Charlie Culberson has two home runs this season, both of them for walk-off victories.
Culberson delivered his second game-winning shot on Sunday with a pinch-hit homer with one out in the ninth inning to give the Braves a 4-2 victory over the Washington Nationals at SunTrust Park.
Culberson connected against reliever Tanner Roark (2-6), who was the starting and losing pitcher in the first game of the series on Thursday night.
Culberson's homer scored Dansby Swanson, who reached second on a hustle double by sliding past the tag of Wilmer Difo. Swanson was originally called out, but the verdict was reversed on video review.
The Braves won three of four games in the series and retained first place in the National League East. Atlanta is 6-4 against the Nationals.
The winning pitcher was Arodys Vizcaino (2-2), who pitched around a hit and a walk to work a scoreless ninth.
Atlanta starter Anibal Sanchez threw seven innings and allowed two runs, both unearned, on two hits and one walk. He struck out five.
The Braves scored in the first inning after an injury to Washington starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson. Ozzie Albies hit a grounder to first baseman Mark Reynolds, who fielded the ball and made a high throw to Hellickson covering the bag. He had to stretch to try to catch the ball, which sailed over his head, and the pitcher crumpled to the ground holding his right hamstring.
Albies wound up on second base and scored on a two-out hit from Nick Markakis off Jefry Rodriguez, who made his major league debut and threw 4 2/3 scoreless innings.
The Nationals took the lead in the third. Difo singled and scored when Trea Turner hit a two-run homer to left-center, his seventh, to put Washington ahead 2-1.
The Braves tied the game 2-2 in the seventh when Swanson hit a long solo homer to left, his fifth. The homer off Shawn Kelly snapped a string of 12 2/3 scoreless innings of work by the Washington bullpen.
--Field Level Media