The fans who remained at Nationals Park let out a cheer as the starting pitchers began walking toward their respective bullpens. It was 9:38 p.m. ET and the clearest sign that the start of Thursday’s game was imminent. Left-hander Gio Gonzalez delivered the game’s first pitch at 10:10 p.m., following a three-hour and five-minute delay due to approaching inclement weather, although the heavy rain the forecast predicted never arrived.
The fans who did stick around until the start of the game were treated to free soda, water, ice cream and eventually hot dogs, as they gathered in the stands on the first level and remained lively throughout. And as Thursday night turned into early Friday morning, the Braves hammered 12 hits and beat the Nationals, 5-2, thanks to a go-ahead homer from Kurt Suzuki and Freddie Freeman notching his 1,000th career hit on one of his two RBI doubles.
That backed up a strong start from right-hander Mike Foltynewicz, who held the Nats to two runs on eight hits with five strikeouts.
Gonzalez gave up three runs in six innings with six strikeouts and a pair of walks. His first-half ERA will stand at 2.86, as the lefty, who was left off the Midsummer Classic rosters, made his strongest bid to be an All-Star this season with the game in Miami, near his hometown.
Freeman became one of 19 players to record 1,000 hits while playing for the Braves when he delivered a run-scoring double into left field in the seventh inning off Nationals left-hander Sammy Solis. Of those 1,000 hits, 125 have come against the Nationals, exactly one-eighth. Freeman eventually scored on a double by Nick Markakis to extend Atlanta’s lead to 5-2.
Suzuki continued his recent power surge in the sixth inning by hammering a fastball from Gonzalez into left field to break a 2-2 tie. It was his third home run in his past eight at-bats and seventh overall. Three of those homers have come against his former team, the Nationals.
