Washington got a gift Thursday afternoon in its desperate attempt to stay relevant in the National League East, and, in a rarity of late, they took advantage of that good fortune.
Atlanta starting pitcher Anibal Sanchez, 10-1 in his career against the Nationals, was forced to leave the game after the second inning as a precaution to a left calf contusion.
Washington capitalized, scoring three runs in the next two at-bats against rookie Wes Parsons and adding on later for a 6-3 victory against the Braves. That earned the Nationals a split of the four-game series this week at Nationals Park with Atlanta, and they are now 6-3 this month after going 20-30 in June and July.