WASHINGTON -- Chad Tracy singled in the 13th inning to score Danny Espinosa and lift the Washington Nationals to a 5-4 win over the Atlanta Braves on Monday night.
The win gives first-place Washington a six-game lead in the National League East, while Atlanta lost its third straight game.
Ian Desmond led off the 13th with an infield single off Cristhian Martinez (5-3) before Espinosa tried to bunt and hit into a forceout. Kurt Suzuki then hit a high chopper for an infield hit, allowing Espinosa to take third.
With the infield in, Tracy hit a ball to Braves second baseman Dan Uggla, who appeared confused and instead of either trying to get Espinosa at the plate or attempting to turn a double play, he fumbled it, and Espinosa scored the game-winner.
Uggla was initially given an error before it was changed inexplicably to a single for Tracy. He was pinch-hitting for Craig Stammen (6-1), Washington's eighth pitcher and final remaining reliever, who pitched two hitless innings for the win.
In the first inning -- delayed by rain for 56 minutes -- Atlanta's Martin Prado doubled with one out against Jordan Zimmermann. Prado, who had three hits and scored twice, scored on Jason Heyward's single.
The Nationals scored four runs in the first off Tim Hudson. Jayson Werth led off with a double and scored on Bryce Harper's single. Ryan Zimmerman then singled, and both runners moved up when Michael Morse lined a ball that ricocheted off Hudson's right hand. Harper came home on Adam LaRoche's infield out and Desmond hit a two-run home run to left -- his 18th of the season.
In the fourth, the Braves' Freddie Freeman walked, Uggla doubled, and with one out Paul Janish lined to Espinosa at second. He couldn't handle it, and Freeman scored on the single.
Heyward's two-run homer in the fifth tied the score at 4. It was his 21st of the season.
Zimmermann pitched five innings, equaling his shortest outing of the season. He allowed four runs on four hits, walking two and striking out two.
Hudson, who hasn't lost since the Nationals beat him July 1, allowed four runs and eight hits. He walked two and had his six-game winning streak broken.
The Braves signed veteran first baseman Lyle Overbay to a minor league contract. Overbay, released by Arizona on Aug. 5, will report to Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday.
Tonight's mound matchup is Atlanta's Paul Maholm (11-7, 4.39 ERA) against Stephen Strasburg (14-5, 2.91).
