Atlanta Braves starting pitcher José Suarez throws during the second inning of the first baseball game of a doubleheader, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
September 16, 2025 - 12:54 PM
WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Olson homered for a fourth consecutive game, José Suarez threw seven strong innings and the Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals 6-3 in the first game of a split doubleheader Tuesday.
Jurickson Profar and Olson hit back-to-back home runs as part of a five-run fourth inning. Olson reached 27 home runs this season and has hit one in four consecutive games for the first time since September 2023.
Olson also doubled. He is hitting .556 (10 for 18) with four home runs, three doubles, seven RBIs and seven runs in his past four games.
The Braves had 13 hits. They have won three in a row after a four-game slide.
Profar drilled a two-run homer to right field off Nationals starter Jake Irvin (8-13) to put the Braves ahead for good. It was Profar’s 14th of the season. Irvin is 0-8 with a 9.00 ERA in his last nine starts.
Making his first start for the Braves, Suarez (2-0) allowed two runs and five hits, striking out nine and walking two. Raisel Iglesias pitched a scoreless ninth for his 26th save.
Vidal Bruján had two hits and two RBIs. Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr. each had three singles.
Key Moment
Profar and Olson combined for Atlanta's eighth set of back-to-back home runs this season and the team's first since Aug. 7.
Key Stat
Nationals left fielder Daylen Lile's triple in the eighth was his 10th of the season. That leads rookies and puts Lile past Bryce Harper (2012) for the most triples in a season by a rookie in Nationals history since the team moved to Washington in 2005.
Up Next
The Braves send RHP Hurston Waldrep (4-1, 2.78 ERA) to the mound to face the Nationals RHP Brad Lord (5-8, 4.21) in the series finale later Tuesday.
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