Center fielder Cameron Maybin chopped a single over the third base bag with one out in the ninth inning to drive in the winning run and give the Atlanta Braves a 2-1 victory over the Washington Nationals on Thursday night at Turner Field. The Braves started the rally when pinch-hitter Pedro Ciriaco beat out an infield grounder to shortstop, only the fourth hit against Washington starter Max Scherzer.  Ciriaco went to second on a sacrifice and scored on Maybin’s single. Scherzer (9-6) had his three-game winning streak snapped. He allowed five hits and struck out nine in 8 1/3 innings.

The winning pitcher was Jason Grilli (3-3), who pitched a scoreless ninth and struck out one.Atlanta starter Manny Banuelos, making his first appearance in the major leagues, was in control until the sixth inning.  With two outs, he had retired 13 straight batters. But when Banuelos hit back-to-back batters with a pitch, catcher A.J Pierzynski motioned to the dugout that something was wrong.  Manager Fredi Gonzalez and the trainer went to the mound and removed the young left-hander, who was suffering from cramps and dehydration. In 5 2/3 scoreless innings, he struck out seven.  Right-hander Nick Masset came on and retired third baseman Yunel Escobar on a soft liner to third base to end the threat.

The Nationals tied the score 1-1 in the seventh against reliever David Aardsma.   Right fielder Bryce Harper led off with a double on a hooking fly that Maybin ran down but could not keep in his glove. Catcher Wilson Ramos drove him home by poking a single to right field.Banuelos showed no nerves in his major league debut.   He allowed a single to center fielder Denard Span to lead off the game but retired the next three batters to end the threat.In the second, Banuelos gave up a leadoff single to Ramos, but he was immediately erased in a double play.

Scherzer’s chance for another no-hitter was erased in the third when No. 8 hitter Eury Perez singled up the middle. Banuelos sacrificed him to second with two outs, but Scherzer retired second baseman Jace Peterson on a lazy fly to center to end the inning.  Atlanta scored a run in the fifth, becoming the first team in four starts to take a lead against Scherzer.   Third baseman Juan Uribe led off with a double down the third base line and scored with one out on a looping single to left by shortstop Andrelton Simmons.

The Braves begin a three-game home series against Philadelphia on Friday.  First pitch is scheduled for 6:20 PM and Thunder Radio will have the broadcast beginning with the pregame show starting at 6:00 PM.  The starting pitchers are Atlanta’s Julio Teheran (5-4, 4.94 ERA) vs. Philadelphia’s Adam Morgan (1-0, 1.59).

The scheduled doubleheader for the Coffee County Fastpitch League was cancelled on Wednesday due to the storms in the area and wet field conditions.  The games will be rescheduled, Thunder Radio and the Coffee Coaches Show will keep you updated on the times and location.  On Thursday night, the CCFL returns to action at Terry Floyd Field at Central High School.  The schedule for Thursday:

Matt Wisler validated his status as a highly regarded pitching prospect and recorded his first career hit and RBI during a four-run fourth inning that propelled the Braves to Wednesday night’s 4-1 win over the Nationals at Turner Field.

Wisler’s two-out RBI single capped the fourth inning, which was highlighted by the back-to-back homers A.J. Pierzynski and Juan Uribe hit off Doug Fister. But most of the 22-year-old right-hander’s most valuable contributions came in the process of limiting the Nationals to one hit, while recording six strikeouts and issuing five walks over 5 1/3 innings.
“It was just nice to win the game,” Pierzynski said after the contest, which started after a 2-hour, 9-minute rain delay. “These guys have kicked our tail a lot this year. It was nice just to have an opportunity to score some runs and play with a lead against these guys, because it always seems like we’re chasing them from behind.”

The Nationals, who had won each of the past nine games played against the Braves, scored their run when Denard Span produced a two-out RBI single off Nick Masset in the seventh inning. But they were not able to overcome the damage incurred by Fister, who allowed four earned runs and seven hits over six innings.

Wisler, ranked by MLB.com as the Braves’ No. 2 prospect, used three strikeouts to pitch around the two walks he issued during a 27-pitch first inning. The young hurler, who was making his third career start, also induced an inning-ending double play off Yunel Escobar’s bat after a Danny Espinosa single put runners at the corners with one out in the third inning.

“He threw the ball over the plate, was locating on each pitch, working in and out and threw a very good ballgame,” said Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper. “As a team, I think we’re swinging it well, and we just had one of those nights.” More >
Wilson Ramos had a forgettable night with runners in scoring position. He struck out with runners on first and second to end the first inning, and he again left the Nationals hanging in the sixth inning, when he grounded into an inning ending 6-4-3 double play with runners on first and third.

Pierzynski’s two-run shot — his first home run since June 3 — sparked the fourth-inning uprising that included Uribe’s solo shot and the RBI single Wisler produced immediately after Eury Perez was intentionally walked. The Braves had totaled four runs in just two of the previous 11 games they had played since Freddie Freeman was sidelined with a right wrist injury.

Fister cruised through his first three innings against the Braves, retiring nine of the first 10 batters he faced. That all came undone in the fourth inning, though, with Atlanta center fielder Cameron Maybin starting the frame off with a single to a diving Ian Desmond. Maybin’s hit set up the big inning against the Nationals starter, who allowed five of his seven hits in the fourth.
Maybin’s stolen base in the fourth inning was the first that Fister has allowed since joining the Nationals. Since 2014, only three baserunners have even attempted stealing off of Fister: Gerardo Parra was thrown out on May 14, 2014, and Steven Souza was caught stealing June 18, 2015, before Maybin’s successful steal.

For Thursday night’s 6:10 CT series finale at Turner Field, Atlanta will go with Manny Banuelos, who will be making his Major League debut. Banuelos was a hot-shot prospect in the Yankees’ organization before undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2012. He posted a 2.29 ERA in 15 starts with Triple-A Gwinnett this year.  Washington turns to staff ace Max Scherzer, hoping he continues his recent dominance. His scoreless-innings streak was broken in his last start against the Phillies, but he’s still posted a miniscule 0.69 ERA over his last three starts (26 IP, 2 ER).
Thunder Radio will have the broadcast of tonight’s game beginning at 6:00 PM.