Atlanta (AP) -AJ Smith-Shawver only allowed two strokes and no earnings runs in six strong innings, Nick Allen drove by two strokes on Thursday and the Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals 5-2 on Thursday. The Braves won three of four games in the series, leaving the Nationals with eight losses in their last nine games. Washington cut a loss line of seven games on Wednesday night with a 5-4 Comeback victory. Smith-Shawver (3-2) rely on his splitter for six strokes and gives up one undeserved run. He won his last three decisions. CJ Abrams had two hits, including a homer of left -hander Dylan Lee in the eighth, for Washington. Smith-Shawver, 22, emerged as a reliable right hand after his recall of Triple-a Gwinnett on April 29. He took a no-hitter in the eighth inning of a 4-0 victory over Cincinnati on May 5. Trevor Williams (2-5) stopped four runs, earned three in 4 1/3 innings. Raisel Iglesias pitched ninth place for his seventh salvation, a day after he had his third blown salvation. Ozzie Albies was hit by a pitch of Williams to open fifth, with a three-running atlanta a 4-0 lead. Alex Verdugo and Drake Baldwin had singles singles and Marcell Ozuna added a sacrificial fly in the turn. Smith-Shawver allowed one earned run in 19 2/3 innings over his last try, leaving his era at 2.33. Washington opens a series of three matches in Baltimore on Friday night with LHP Mackenzie Gore (2-4, 3.59 era) starting for the nationals. The Braves also open an interleague series on the road when they play in Boston with the LHP Chris Sale (1-3, 3.97), which pitched for the Red Sox from 2017 to 2023, which was planned to oppose the LHP Garrett Crochet (4-2, 1.93). ___
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