Tyler Flowers smacked a go-ahead three-run home run off Matt Albers in the ninth inning to power the Braves to an 11-10 win over the Nationals on Monday night at Nationals Park.
It was Flowers’ fourth home run of the season, and the Braves’ fifth blast of the night. The Nationals entered the eighth inning with a 9-6 advantage, but for the third straight day, Washington’s bullpen surrendered the lead. The Braves scored twice in the eighth before taking command in the ninth.
The game was meant to be a pitching duel between two pitchers who entered on a string of quality starts, but it turned into a slugfest with a combined eight home runs and 28 hits. Stephen Strasburg gave up six runs and three home runs in five innings, while the Nationals took advantage of defensive miscues in the fourth to take a three-run lead.
But in the ninth, as Flowers rounded the bases, the Braves’ players jumped around the dugout, while some came out to greet Flowers with high-fives. Meanwhile, the Nationals players sat with straight faces in the dugout. The Nationals added a run in the ninth, but Jim Johnson secured his 13th save of the season for Atlanta.
Flowers’ blast was one of the shortest of the eight in the game, but it was the most important. Albers walked two in the ninth and struck out one before Flowers, who had been 0-for-4, came to the plate. He worked a 2-0 count before smacking a four-seam fastball over the right-field wall. The catcher’s 349-foot shot had an exit velocity of 98.1 mph and a launch angle of 35 degrees, per Statcast™.
Johnson gave up a two-out single to Trea Turner in the bottom of the ninth, which scored Michael Taylor. But with Bryce Harper at the plate and the potential tying run on first, Johnson got Harper to line out to center field, recording the save.
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