Martín Pérez flirts with a no-hitter as Braves power past Nationals 8-3

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ATLANTA (AP) — Martín Pérez held Washington hitless until the seventh inning, Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson and Dominic Smith hit home runs, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Nationals 8-3 on Saturday night, their third straight win in the series.

Pérez (7-6) started in place of Reynaldo López, who was scratched 35 minutes before the game with left knee inflammation.

He allowed one hit, no runs and had six strikeouts in seven innings on 78 pitches against the highest scoring team in Major League Baseball. Brady House broke up the no-hit bid with a clean single to right field.

The Braves have not had a no-hitter since 1994, when Kent Mercker shut down the Dodgers in a 6-0 victory. They have just four since the team moved to Atlanta in 1966.

Austin Riley was 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs and Mike Yastrzemski had two hits and scored a run for the Braves, who are 8-2 at home since the All-Star break.

Acuña and Olson hit back-to-back homers in the first inning to give the Braves a lead they would not relinquish. Smith added a 403-foot home run to lead off the fourth. Smith's home run came after he kept his at-bat alive by successfully challenging what would have been strike three.

Trailing 8-0, the Nats scored three runs in the eighth on an RBI double by Dylan Crews and a two-run single by CJ Abrams.

Miles Mikolas (3-8) took the loss after allowing five runs in six innings. He gave up nine hits, including the three home runs.

The Nationals have lost four straight and are 55-57 two days before the trade deadline.

Nationals RHP Cade Cavalli (7-4, 3.58 ERA) will start the series finale Sunday. The Braves have yet to announce a starting pitcher.

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