Braves don't pounce on chance to pad lead

ATLANTA -- Freddie Freeman wasn’t happy about the fact it took Sean Nolin two pitches to intentionally plunk him. But the Braves first baseman was more upset about making the final out as he and his teammates squandered a prime opportunity in a 4-2 loss to the Nationals on Wednesday night at Truist Park.

“I’m more frustrated now, not because I got hit by a pitch, but because I lined out, with a chance to tie the game by hitting a home run there,” Freeman said. “I guess the only good thing is they’re going to be tired for tomorrow and we’ve got to win the series. So, that’s the only good that could come out of this.”

• Box score

So, on the bright side, Nolin’s first-inning ejection forced the Nationals to use six relievers. Consequently, Washington might be fatigued or short-handed if the bullpen is needed to carry a load in Thursday’s series finale.

But on the frustrating side, the Braves managed just five hits and two runs over 8 2/3 innings against a Nationals bullpen that has a 4.82 ERA (the NL’s fourth-highest mark). And they weren’t able to overcome the seventh-inning go-ahead homer hit by Juan Soto, who was the primary reason Nolin chose to use a mulligan with his retaliatory attempt.

• Standings: Braves remain 2 1/2 games ahead of Phillies

Will Smith had hit Soto with a pitch during the ninth inning of the Braves win on Tuesday. The extension of the bad blood that developed between these two last year carried over to Wednesday, when Nolin threw behind Freeman in the first inning and then drilled his right hip with the next pitch.

“I expressed that to [plate umpire] Lance [Barksdale] when he missed me,” Freeman said. “I said, ‘Lance, that's all he gets. That's all he gets. If he goes again, he's got to go. That's clear intent.’ So, when he hit me again, I said, ‘Lance, I'm sorry, but that's the two times that's clear intent.’”

This also seemed like a clear opportunity for the Braves to claim a third straight win. But solo homers by Adam Duvall and Eddie Rosario accounted for the only runs tallied over 26 outs against the Nationals’ bullpen. This combined with the struggles of Touki Toussaint led to the Braves losing for the sixth time in their past nine games.

The only good to come out of this? Well, with the Phillies also losing Wednesday in Milwaukee, the Braves still have a 2 1/2-game lead in the National League East. Atlanta also has the opportunity to play the Nationals, Marlins and Rockies over the next seven games. But the Phillies’ schedule is also soft the rest of the way and Wednesday’s loss provided the reminder that nothing is guaranteed.

“It is frustrating,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “Their guys came out of that ‘pen and did a really good job in a tough situation for them. We’ll go out and win a series tomorrow.”

While the offensive struggles might have been maddening, Toussaint set the tone for the night as he issued four walks and allowed two runs -- one earned -- over just three-plus innings. The Braves didn’t even announce him as their starter until the conclusion of Tuesday night’s win.

Of course, their other choice was Drew Smyly, who ended up allowing an insurance run when he came out of the bullpen to pitch the eighth. Still, the decision to go with Toussaint had to be questioned as he consistently missed the strike zone and put the Braves in an early hole.

“When they are on their feet a lot and they’re not expecting the ball to be over the plate, it’s tough,” Snitker said. “It’s hard to play a game that way.”

Soto playfully said he was blowing a kiss toward friends and family members after hitting his seventh-inning homer off Richard Rodriguez. Those friends must have been seated right above Smith in the Braves’ bullpen.

But any lingering bad blood between these two teams seemed to evaporate by the time this latest game concluded. Like Smith with Soto, Nolin denied his pitches had any intent. Freeman hugged Soto after the first inning and fist-bumped Nationals manager Dave Martinez when he got to the visitor’s dugout to calmly discuss what had transpired.

“There's no hard feelings for me, you know, I get it,” Freeman said. “I just wanted to let Juan know and let Davey know that I totally understand the situation and let’s move on.”