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The Leading Logic In Sports Handicapping |
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ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Willie Harris gave the Atlanta Braves
another reason to rue the day they didn't re-sign him.
Harris homered, drove in five runs and reached base five times
and Austin Kearns homered and scored five times to lead the
Washington Nationals to a 15-6 rout of the Braves in the rubber
game of the three- game set Sunday afternoon.
Jesus Flores set a career high with five hits and Felipe Lopez
had three hits and drove in three runs for the Nationals, who
scored the most runs since the franchise moved to Washington.
The 17 hits also were a season high.
"Hitting is contagious," Harris said. "We're swinging the bats
really well right now. It's good for our hitters and good for
our pitchers, too."
Harris, a native of Georgia, spent the better part of last
season with his hometown club, batting .270 with two homers and
32 RBI in 117 games for the Braves. But Atlanta and the former
Kennesaw State standout parted ways in the offseason as Harris
became one of many former Braves on a struggling Nationals club.
After Harris' weekend performance, the Braves may have been
better off keeping him.
"I looked forward to this series," Harris said. "I had a bunch
of friends (in the stands). I want to beat my old team."
The 30-year old Harris, who pounded out five hits, scored four
times and drove in two runs in the first two games of the
three-game set, was at it again Sunday.
Harris, who walked in the first, helped the Nationals extend the
lead to 3-1 by smashing a two-run single off Atlanta starter
Jo-Jo Reyes (3-9) in the second before drawing a walk with the
bases loaded in the third. He followed by capping a six-run
fourth with a two-run shot into the right field stands for his
sixth homer of the season.
"Willie Harris has been a sparkplug for us," Nationals manager
Manny Acta said. "He's having some good at-bats."
Harris, who is batting .480 (12-for-25) with a homer and 10 RBI
against the Braves this season, is hitting just .205
(27-for-132) with five homers and 10 RBI against the rest of the
league.
His supporting cast, which tattooed Atlanta pitching for 14 hits
Saturday night, had the bats working again Sunday.
After scoring three runs in the second, Washington added three
more in the third and six in the fourth. The Nationals added
two runs in the fifth. Kearns hit his 100th career homer in the
fourth.
Former Braves pitcher Odalis Perez (3-7) benefited from the
offensive outburst, notching his first win since May 28, despite
allowing five runs and nine hits while walking two and striking
out four over five frames.
"I'd say (the offense helped me) - 15 runs, 17 hits," Perez
said. "I may not have pitched that well, but sometimes you
deserve games like that."
The loss capped another miserable series for the Braves, who may
quickly be turning into sellers at the trade deadline.
"That's part of the game," said Teixeira, who was 3-for-4 with
two homers and three RBIs the contest. "I've always said that I
wanted to stay here and wee my way through it. But business is
business and things have to change."
Atlanta's pitching staff allowed 29 runs and 42 hits in the
three-game set to a club that entered Sunday's contest with a
major league-low .241 batting average.
"It's really frustrating," second baseman Kelly Johnson said.
"All of us have been on winning teams and winning organizations.
It needs to change."
Reyes was the latest Atlanta starter to get tattooed by the
light-hitting club, allowing six runs and seven hits, walking
four and striking out one in 2 1/3 frames.
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