Garcia, Wisler pace Braves in rain-shortened win

ATLANTA -- Matt Wisler is trying to close out the season on a strong note after struggling at times for the Atlanta Braves.

"I've had my ups and downs this year," he said. "I've shown that I can be really good and I've shown I can be really bad. It's just a matter of not taking any start for granted."

Adonis Garcia drove in three runs, Wisler pitched five-plus innings and Atlanta beat the Washington Nationals 6-2 in a rain-shortened game Sunday.

The game was official with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. The two delays totaled 2 hours, 57 minutes.

Washington has dropped two straight and needs any combination of six Nationals wins and six New York Mets losses to earn its third NL East title in five years.

After a 1-hour, 7-minute delay in the top of the sixth, the Braves scored three runs in the bottom of the inning to make it 6-2 on Garcia's two-run single and Freddie Freeman's RBI double.

Wisler (7-12) allowed two runs, five hits and struck out two in 5 2/3 innings to earn the win.

He faced a limited lineup as Nationals manager Dusty Baker gave sluggers Daniel Murphy and Anthony Rendon the day off and used Ryan Zimmerman as a pinch-hitter.

"Today I thought I came out aggressively, made them put the ball in play," Wisler said. "They were swinging kind of early. They weren't squaring up a lot of balls like they were the last game (he faced them)."

Joe Ross (7-5), reinstated from the disabled list after missing 66 games with right shoulder inflammation, took the loss. Ross, on a pitch count, allowed one run and six hits, one run and struck out five in three innings. It was his first start since July 2.

"It's a welcomed sight to see him back," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said.

Ross trailed 1-0 in the second on Jace Peterson's RBI single. He gave up three singles to begin the third, but retired the next three batters to escape the jam.

"Pitched myself into a jam and was able to work out of in the third," Ross said. "Felt good, and that's the main thing I was concerned with today. I could have kept pitching, but probably best to keep it to three innings."

Reynaldo Lopez took over in the fourth and trailed 3-0 on Dansby Swanson's RBI double and Garcia's RBI single.

Washington made it 3-2 in the sixth. Trea Turner tripled and Jayson Werth doubled off Wisler. After the first delay ended, Bryce Harper's single off Ian Krol scored Werth.

Wisler is 3-3 with a 4.83 in five career starts and one relief appearance against Washington.

The Nationals went 15-4 against Atlanta this season and 36-13 in the series since June 21, 2014. They played their last game at Turner Field with the NL-worst Braves moving to a new ballpark next year.

STILL STREAKING

In 13 games against Atlanta, Turner hit .475 with five doubles, two triples, six homers, 16 RBI, seven stolen bases and 20 runs scored. ... Freeman went 2 for 3 and has a 22-game hitting streak and has reached safely in 38 straight games. Both are career highs and rank first in the majors among active streaks. ... Braves CF Ender Inciarte went 1 for 3 and leads the majors with 88 hits since the All-Star break.

SWOON STOPS

Harper ended a stretch of 26 plate appearances without a hit, though he did have nine walks over the span. He had two hits in 29 at-bats over his previous 10 games.

UP NEXT

Washington RHP A.J. Cole (1-2) is scheduled to make his sixth start and first in his career against Miami. Braves RHP Aaron Blair (0-6) is set to start at the New York Mets. The rookie has an 8.23 ERA in 12 starts and is 0-2 with an 8.04 ERA in three starts against the Mets.