WASHINGTON — Tyler Flowers hit a go-ahead three-run home run off Matt Albers in the ninth inning and the Atlanta Braves came from three runs down to beat the Washington Nationals 11-10 on Monday night and snap a three-game skid.
Flowers had been hitless in his first four at-bats before he took Albers' fastball to the opposite field and into the Nationals bullpen.
Matt Adams hit a pair of homers, including one of starter Stephen Strasburg. The Nationals' ace gave up six runs and three homers. Adams' second homer, a solo shot, was the first of five runs scored against a Nationals bullpen that blew its 11th save and second during a four-game losing streak.
Albers (2-1) allowed the final three runs in the ninth after entering to work out of an eighth-inning jam.
Atlanta's bullpen allowed two runs over 5 and 2/3 innings. Jason Motte (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth and Jim Johnson allowed a run but completed the ninth for his 13th save.
Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz gave up a career-high eight runs, including homers by Bryce Harper, Brian Goodwin and Trea Turner, and lasted just 3 1/3 innings. He exited in the middle of a four-run fourth inning that gave Washington a 9-6 lead.
The Braves closed to 9-8 in the eighth on Adams' solo shot and Ender Inciarte's sacrifice fly. Then Nick Markakis and Adams both walked to set up Flowers' shot in the ninth.
The Nationals lost despite pounding out 17 hits, including three each by Turner, Goodwin, Michael Taylor and Adam Lind.
DRAFT NIGHT
Braves: Selected RHP Kyle Wright out of Vanderbilt with the fifth overall pick of the 2017 amateur draft, which began Monday night.
Nationals: Took LHP Seth Romero out of the University of Houston with their first-round pick, the 25th overall selection.
MOVES
Nationals: Recalled RHP Trevor Gott to Triple-A Syracuse and optioned INF Wilmer Difo to Syracuse. Gott made one appearance for the Nationals in 2016. He's 2-0 with a 3.30 ERA with Syracuse this season.
TRAINERS ROOM
Braves: RHP Bartolo Colon (oblique strain) threw a bullpen session Monday, and manager Brian Snitker doesn't expect him to need a rehab start before returning from the disabled list. "We're going to bring him back with some sides and then plug him in probably early next week at some point in time," Snitker said.
Nationals: 1B Ryan Zimmerman (back) was out for a third straight game, though manager Dusty Baker hoped he would return Tuesday and then play "quite a few games until the next off day."
UP NEXT
Both of Tuesday's starters are coming off stellar outings last Thursday. Braves RHP R.A. Dickey (4-4, 4.73) allowed a run on three hits over seven innings in a 3-1 victory over Philadelphia. Nationals righty Joe Ross (3-2, 6.16) struck out a career-high 12 in 7 and 1/3 innings in a 6-1 win against Baltimore.
