Michael Harris II hits 2 homers and Braves rout Nationals 12-0 despite López's early exit

WASHINGTON -- — Michael Harris II hit two of Atlanta's four home runs and the Braves had 15 hits in a 12-0 rout of the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night, despite losing starter Reynaldo López to a shoulder injury after one inning.

López left with right shoulder tightness after throwing 25 pitches, 16 for strikes. His fastball velocity — usually 96 mph — was down to the 89-94 mph range. He and three relievers limited the Nationals — losers of seven of their last 10 games — to three hits. López will undergo an MRI Wednesday.

“We are getting him looked at and we’ll determine something tomorrow," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “He’s checking out OK. I talked to him. I just saw the velocities were not good, and then when I talked to him after and kind of made him fess up and he wanted to keep going. But when he stepped on it he didn’t feel great.”

López said he was surprised.

“To be honest I really didn’t know what was happening," he said via an interpreter. "I felt like that first pitch went out and I thought it was 95 mph and it I took up and it was 89 mph. So that took me by surprise. That was just something I wasn’t expecting. I was definitely relieved when everything came back normal and good. I think it is right we are just being overly cautious.”

It was the fourth multi-homer game of Harris' career. Sean Murphy hit a two-run shot and Orlando Arcia had solo homer one night after the Braves mustered only a pair singles by Matt Olson in a 1-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

Atlanta hit three doubles in the four-run third, then added three runs in the next frame to chase Nationals left-handed starter MacKenzie Gore and pull even with the Mets for the final NL wild card.

Ramón Laureano and Murphy each had two hits and three RBI. Olson added two singles and a double, his third multi-hit game in his last four.

“I think we just got into a rhythm pretty quick in the third inning," Laureano said. "We didn’t look back. It was a pretty smooth game after that.”

With two outs in the bottom of the first, López hit Nationals designated hitter Andrés Chaparro with a pitch. The right-hander was checked by Braves medical staff, but stayed in to finish the inning with a called third strike to José Tena.

“It was little frustrating, especially just given the circumstances," López said. “The position the team is in, every game counts. We are fighting for every victory out there. So whenever a start of a game I want to go out there and finish it. Not being able to do that was frustrating.”

López had tossed at least six innings this past three starts and has been mainstay in the Braves rotation for 24 starts after signing a three-year free agent deal from the White Sox.

Right-hander Jesse Chavez (2-2) came on for López and held the Nationals to one hit, striking out three.

Gore (8-12) lasted 3 2/3 innings, surrendering seven runs, but just two earned runs, with six hits, three walks, three strikeouts, one hit by pitch and one wild pitch.

“I just didn’t execute like I have been," Gore said. “And when you see teams for a fourth time, execution is extremely important.”

Chaparro stole second base in the first inning to become the 23rd Nationals player with a stolen base this season, matching the 1917 Pittsburgh Pirates. It was Chaparro’s first major league stolen base.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Nationals: RHP Trevor Williams (right flexor muscle strain, 15-day IL) tossed three shutout innings on 28 pitches — 21 for strikes — allowing three hits and striking out one in his first rehab assignment for Double-A Harrisburg.

UP NEXT

Braves LHP Max Fried (9-8, 3.35 ERA) opposes Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (9-12, 4.28) to wrap up the two-game series.

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This story has been changed to correct that the Braves and Mets are tied in the wild-card race.

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