Brandon Jones helps Braves beat Nationals

Published 11:56 pm Friday, September 5, 2008

ATLANTA – Rookie Brandon Jones’ three-run double capped a seven-run third inning, and Kelly Johnson had three hits and two RBIs in the Atlanta Braves’ 10-5 victory over the Washington Nationals on Friday night.

The Braves have consecutive wins for the first time since Aug. 9, a span of 25 games.

Washington has dropped two straight and three of four after a season-high seven-game winning streak.

Rookie Jair Jurrjens (12-9) allowed six hits, one run and three walks in five innings to win for the first time in five starts. The right-hander, who escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first on Roger Bernadina’s groundout, struck out six.

Nationals starter Jason Bergmann (2-11) allowed seven runs and five hits with three walks in 2 1-3 innings, his shortest start this season. He was chased after Casey Kotchman’s bases-loaded walk gave the Braves a 4-1 lead in the third.

Reliever Marco Estrada, acquired in the Aug. 20 trade that sent Luis Ayala to the New York Mets, walked the first batter he faced, Jeff Francoeur, to reload the bases. Jones then doubled to right-center for his first three career RBIs.

The Braves’ first two runs of the third came on Johnson’s RBI double and Brian McCann’s sacrifice fly RBI.

Johnson, now hitting .611 with six extra-base hits in 18 at-bats over his last four games, had a run-scoring single to make it 10-1 in the fifth.

Chipper Jones made it 1-0 in the first with an RBI groundout.

The Nationals scored three times in the seventh off Elmer Dessens on Ryan Langerhans’ two-run triple and Wil Nieves’ sacrifice fly RBI.

Washington’s other two runs came on Bernadina’s RBI triple in the third and pinch-hitter Aaron Boone’s RBI single in the sixth.

Since beating the Dodgers 9-3 on July 8, Jurrjens had gone 2-5 with a 4.80 ERA in nine starts.

Washington fell to 5-17 in games started this year by Bergmann.

Notes: Washington 3B Ryan Zimmerman went 2-for-4 and has a .409 average while hitting safely in his last 11 games. … Francoeur’s walk in the third left him with a .133 average and 12 RBIs in 30 at-bats with the bases loaded this year. … Nationals manager Manny Acta doesn’t know how much time INF Ronnie Belliard will miss after MRI results confirmed a strained groin.