Nationals' Max Scherzer pinch hits in 14th, scores tiebreaking run

ATLANTA -- Nationals ace Max Scherzer singled as a pinch hitter in the 14th inning and scored the tiebreaking run on Wilmer Difo's triple, sparking the Washington Nationals to a 5-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.

In his third big league pinch-hit appearance, Scherzer singled up the middle against Miguel Socolovich (0-1) and sped home from first base on Difo's hit to right-center field. Spencer Kieboom added an RBI single. Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, touched off a dugout celebration after he scored.

Justin Miller (2-0) struck out five in three innings, facing the minimum, and Sean Doolittle got three straight outs for his 14th save in 15 chances. Washington's bullpen has allowed two earned runs in its past 33 innings.

Jesse Biddle, the fifth Atlanta reliever, struck out eight of his 13 batters, including Juan Soto with the bases loaded to end the 11th. He walked two in three innings.

Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez faced the minimum through four innings, striking out five, before Nick Markakis' leadoff single in the fifth. Tyler Flowers singled, and Johan Camargo homered for a 3-2 lead, his third homer this week and fifth this season. Soto tied the score with a seventh-inning homer off Sam Freeman.

Michael Taylor hit a two-run homer in the seventh off Brandon McCarthy, who allowed four hits in six innings. McCarthy struck out seven and retired 15 of his final 17 batters.

FREEMAN

Braves 1B Freddie Freeman winced after a first-inning strikeout. He flexed his left wrist a few times before the start of the second. Freeman missed seven weeks last year after breaking his left wrist when hit by a pitch. He was hit again April 19 against Philadelphia but was back in the lineup the next night.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Nationals: 1B Matt Adams left after fouling a ball off his right foot in the fourth. Adams, the primary backup to injured Ryan Zimmerman, was replaced by Mark Reynolds. ... Manager Dave Martinez said 2B Daniel Murphy and OF Adam Eaton looked healthy in rehab games Friday at Double-A Harrisburg and will be re-evaluated on Monday.

Braves: LF Ronald Acuna Jr. and RHP Mike Soroka aren't likely to come off the DL until the week of June 12, after Atlanta returns from a six-game trip to San Diego and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Acuna, sidelined since last Sunday with a mild left anterior cruciate ligament sprain and bruises to his knee and back, is expected to play at least two rehab games next week. Soroka, out since May 14 with a right shoulder strain, will make two more rehab starts. He pitched 3 2/3 perfect innings Friday at Class A Rome.

UP NEXT

RHP Jeremy Hellickson (2-0, 3.20 ERA), slated to start for Washington on Sunday, had no decision and a 4.11 ERA in his first three starts but has a 1.30 ERA in his past five outings. Atlanta RHP Anibal Sanchez (1-0, 3.00 ERA) allowed four runs and five hits Tuesday against the New York Mets in his first start after he missed 37 games with a right hamstring strain.