ATLANTA (AP) — Jair Jurrjens gave up one run and had a run-scoring single in his first start in two months, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals 4-1 on Wednesday night.
Jurrjens (1-3) gave up six hits and one run in five innings in his first major league start since injuring his left hamstring on April 29. He struck out six with two walks.
Four Atlanta relievers combined to give up two hits in four scoreless innings. Billy Wagner gave up a leadoff single to Ivan Rodriguez in the ninth before striking out Cristian Guzman, Alberto Gonzalez and Ian Desmond to earn his 16th save.
Jurrjens, who was a combined 27-20 with a 3.10 ERA in his first two seasons, has had health problems most of the year. He was slowed in spring training by inflammation in his right shoulder and suffered a setback with his hamstring on May 10.
Jurrjens led 3-0 after five innings and was pulled after giving up singles to Ryan Zimmerman and Adam Dunn and walking Josh Willingham with no outs in the sixth.
Zimmerman scored when Rodriguez hit into a double play against right-hander Peter Moylan.
Martin Prado led off the first with a double off J.D. Martin (0-4) and scored on Brian McCann's two-out double.
The Braves added two runs off Martin in the fourth.
Jurrjens, a .109 career hitter, surprised the Nationals' infield when he pulled back from his bunt stance and lined a run-scoring single to left. Jurrjens' first hit of the season drove in Eric Hinske, who led off with a single. Prado's fly ball to left drove in Gregor Blanco later in the fourth for a 3-0 lead.
Martin gave up six hits and three runs in five innings. He has not won in nine starts since his last win on Sept. 18, 2009, at the Mets.
Two Washington relievers combined for two walks and two hit batters to help the Braves add a run in the seventh. Doug Slaten hit Melky Cabrera with a pitch, walked Chipper Jones and hit McCann on the wrist to load the bases. Miguel Batista added a one-out walk to Hinske to force in a run.
NOTES: SS Gonzalez moved to RF in the seventh. It was his first career appearance in the outfield. ... The Braves are 28-9 at home. ... Cabrera was called out on fan interference in the fourth inning when someone leaned over the railing on the third-base line as 3B Zimmerman and LF Willingham tried to catch the short fly ball. ... Braves minor league RHP Arodys Vizcaino, who was acquired from the Yankees as an important part of the offseason deal that sent RHP Javier Vazquez to New York, has a partially torn right elbow ligament and is expected to miss six weeks. He was examined in Atlanta on Wednesday. Vizcaino leads Class A Rome with nine wins.
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