SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. (Interstat) — Jake Irvin tossed five hitless innings and the Washington Nationals blanked the Atlanta Braves 2-0 on Saturday evening at Truist Park. The Nationals scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, the only offense they needed against Atlanta’s Grant Holmes. Irvin (2-4) struck out seven and walked none while allowing no hits and no runs. Richard Lovelady earned his fourth save with a scoreless ninth. Holmes (3-2) took the loss despite striking out 10 over five innings, surrendering six hits and two earned runs. Jorbit Vivas and Dylan Crews each hit solo home runs for Washington, which had seven hits. Atlanta managed just one hit all afternoon, off relievers Brad Lord and Dylan Dodd. Ozzie Albies went 0 for 4 for the Braves. The attendance was 35,819 and the game lasted 2 hours, 23 minutes. Washington improved to 26-27, while Atlanta dropped to 36-17.

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. (Interstat) — Jake Irvin pitched seven dominant innings and the Washington Nationals backed him with solo home runs from Dylan Crews and Jorbit Vivas, beating the Atlanta Braves 2-0 on Saturday evening at Truist Park before a crowd of 35,819. The Nationals improved to 26-27 with the victory, while the Braves dropped to 36-17. The game lasted 2 hours, 23 minutes. Irvin (2-4) allowed just one hit over seven innings, striking out eight and walking one. He retired 11 batters in a row at one point and faced only two Braves baserunners beyond the first inning. Richard Lovelady pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save of the season. Braves starter Grant Holmes (3-2) was nearly as effective, striking out 10 over five innings while allowing two runs on six hits. But the two runs came on two swings — a fourth-inning homer by Crews and a fifth-inning homer by Vivas — and the Braves offense never recovered. Atlanta mustered only one hit, a sharp leadoff single by Michael Harris II in the seventh inning. It was the only time the Braves advanced a runner past first base. Harris finished 1 for 4. Ronald Acuña Jr. went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts, including a called third strike to end the third inning and another swinging strikeout with a runner on third in the seventh. Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Dominic Smith, Mauricio Dubón and Chadwick Tromp each went 0 for 3. Mike Yastrzemski went 0 for 2 with a hit by pitch. The Nationals scored the only run they needed in the fourth. After a leadoff strikeout by CJ Abrams, Crews deposited a 1-0 pitch from Holmes over the left-field wall for his first home run of the season. The ball cleared the fence on a fly ball, and Crews circled the bases as the Nationals took a 1-0 lead. An inning later, Vivas led off with a home run to right field, his first of the year. The back-to-back solo shots by the bottom of the lineup provided all the offense Washington required. The Braves had their best scoring chance in the seventh. Harris lined a single to center off Irvin, then advanced to second on a fielder’s choice grounder by Olson that was initially ruled a forceout but overturned on review. With runners at first and second and no outs, Ozzie Albies popped out on the infield fly rule. Dominic Smith then flied to left, moving Harris to third. But Irvin struck out Riley on a foul tip to end the threat. Dylan Dodd provided strong relief for Atlanta, working three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out three. Holmes faced the minimum through three innings before the home runs. The Nationals finished with seven hits. Vivas singled and homered in four at-bats. Daylen Lile tripled and scored on a double play in the second but was left stranded. James Wood walked twice and singled. Luis García Jr. singled. Washington had lost the series opener in extra innings Friday afternoon, 5-4 in 11 innings, a game in which the Braves rallied late. This time the Nationals reversed the momentum, handing Atlanta its second shutout loss of the season. The Braves had won nine of their previous 11 games. The game featured a stark contrast in offensive output. Atlanta entered the afternoon averaging 5.2 runs per game, the best in the major leagues, but Irvin and Lovelady silenced a lineup that included four All-Stars from the previous season. The most important sequence of the game came in the top of the fourth when Crews turned on a fastball for the opening run, and in the top of the fifth when Vivas followed with his solo blast. Those two swings created the margin that held up as Irvin continued to dominate. Washington’s bullpen contributed a perfect eighth inning from left-hander Jose A. Ferrer, who struck out Acuña swinging to strand Yastrzemski at first. Lovelady then retired the side in order in the ninth, striking out Harris and getting Olson and Albies on groundouts. The Nationals will play the rubber game of the series Sunday afternoon at Truist Park. Washington then travels to Cleveland for a three-game series starting Monday, while Atlanta visits Boston for a three-game set beginning Tuesday. The Interstat game simulator had projected a final score of Atlanta Braves 7, Washington Nationals 6. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Atlanta with a 68.50 percent probability to win. Atlanta had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total score of 2 went over the over-under line of 9.

PREVIEW: Braves Host Nationals in Key NL East Clash ATLANTA (Interstat) — The Atlanta Braves will aim to extend their dominance over the Washington Nationals on Saturday afternoon at Truist Park, with first pitch set for 7:20 p.m. under a forecast of 75 degrees and rain. The Braves (35-16) have won four of five meetings against the Nationals (25-26) this season, including a 2-1 victory on Friday. Atlanta holds the best record in the National League and enters having won five of its last six games. Washington sends right-hander Jake Irvin (1-4, 4.80 ERA) to the mound. Irvin has struggled to find consistency, lasting seven innings in only two of his 10 starts. He opposed Atlanta on April 22, allowing four runs in 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision. Saturday’s matchup features two players to watch. Atlanta center fielder Michael Harris II is riding a hot streak, hitting .400 (8-for-20) with four home runs and seven RBIs over his last six games. Harris launched two home runs and drove in three runs in a 9-3 win at Miami on Thursday. Washington right-hander Cade Cavalli, recently moved to a relief role, has been effective. Over his last two appearances — both against the Mets — Cavalli tossed 8 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs with 10 strikeouts. On May 21, he struck out nine in seven innings of a 2-1 loss to New York. The Braves offense presents a formidable challenge. Atlanta leads the majors in runs scored and batting average. The pitching staff ranks second in ERA. Washington’s bullpen has been overworked recently, with six relievers used in Thursday’s 2-1 loss to the Mets. The Nationals have dropped 10 of their last 14 games. Game notes: The Braves are favored by 1.5 runs. The over/under is 9. A sim projection from InterStat forecasts a 7-6 Atlanta victory. The series concludes Sunday before both teams hit the road. Washington travels to Cleveland, while Atlanta visits Boston.