As Kyle Wright outpitched Max Scherzer and claimed his first career victory with the Braves’ 8-4 win over the Nationals on Sunday afternoon, Atlanta manager Brian Snitker gained yet another reason to feel good about the regular season’s final two weeks.

“I like where we’re at,” Snitker said. “We’ve had some really positive things happen over the past four days here [at Nationals Park] with the rotation, getting Ozzie back and with the bullpen.”

Albies’ game-winning two-run homer off Scherzer was his third of the season and second since returning on Wednesday from a month-long stint on the injured list with a right wrist bone bruise. The Braves have scored at least seven runs in four of the five games played since he was activated.

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Some of this offensive eruption can be credited to Adam Duvall, who has hit nine home runs in 51 at-bats this month. Duvall’s latest was a two-run homer that was drilled three pitches before Albies hit his go-ahead shot off Scherzer, who recorded 10 strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings but faded near the end of a 119-pitch effort.

“They’re a real complete lineup,” Scherzer said. “There’s a reason why they score a ton of runs. I feel like I was able to do some good things today, but they did a good job of grinding against me.”

There has always been a lot to like about the Braves’ offense, which has simply become even more potent since Albies returned. Concerns have always centered on the rotation, which could become an asset if Ian Anderson and Wright extend the success they had the past two days at Nationals Park.

Following Anderson, who allowed one hit over seven scoreless innings on Saturday night, Wright limited the Nationals to four runs (three earned) over six innings. This marked the third time in 10 career starts in which he completed more than five innings -- so to say it was his best career start is not necessarily saying much.

But this is the kind of impressive performance the Braves and many other members of the baseball world have anticipated since Wright was taken with the fifth overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft.

“It took a little longer than I had wanted,” Wright said. “I thought I got away from my stuff a little bit. Now I’m fully getting back to where I need to be. I’ve still got a long way to go, but I definitely like the way I’ve improved.”

Wright stands with Mike Foltynewicz and Sean Newcomb as the members of the Opening Day rotation who were demoted to the team’s alternate training site at some point this year. The other two starters were Mike Soroka, who made just three starts before tearing his right Achilles tendon, and Max Fried, whose National League Cy Young Award bid was halted this past week by back spasms.

Over the course of this week, the Braves are slated to receive starts from Anderson, Wright, Fried and Cole Hamels, who is expected to be activated to make his season debut on Wednesday.

It remains to be seen exactly how this group fares. But for the first time since the season began, the Braves have reason to be optimistic about their rotation, which now includes a more confident Wright.

“I know I’m capable, and I know I have great stuff,” Wright said. “Sometimes, I just have to get out of my own way. I feel like I’m getting back to that and pitching the way I can.”

Wright could have experienced an early exit after the Nationals loaded the bases with three hits, including two that had an exit velocity below 80 mph, before the first out was recorded in the bottom of the fifth.

But instead of giving in, Wright took a step in the right direction. The two runs he allowed in that inning came when Albies fielded Trea Turner’s grounder, stepped on second and made an errant throw that Freddie Freeman couldn’t handle. The frame concluded with Juan Soto drawing an intentional walk ahead of Asdrúbal Cabrera’s double-play groundout.

“I’ve had multiple talks with him about how good his stuff is and how good he can be,” Snitker said. “He doesn’t have to take a backseat to anybody. You saw it today.”

Up next
Nick Markakis will return to Camden Yards as the Braves play the Orioles on Monday at 7:35 p.m. ET. Markakis played for the O's from 2006-14. He last faced his former team in Baltimore in '15, and the Orioles came to Atlanta in '18. Touki Toussaint will return to the Majors to start this series opener. The game will be available on MLB.TV.