Washington Nationals at Atlanta Braves: Final Score & Recap
Line Score
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WSH | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| ATL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 8 | 10 | 3 |
The Story
The Atlanta Braves defeated the Washington Nationals 8-3 at Truist Park on August 1, 2026, a result that aligned closely with the DiamondIQ model's pre-game estimate of a 64 percent home win probability, which ultimately climbed to 100 percent by the game's conclusion. Atlanta built its lead methodically, scoring in the first, second, and fourth innings before a four-run seventh inning put the game entirely out of reach. Washington managed three runs in the eighth but finished with just four hits and an error against an Atlanta club that committed three of its own yet still dominated the scoreboard.
The decisive moments came through a handful of high-leverage plays that shifted the game's probability in Atlanta's favor. Dominic Smith's home run off Miles Mikolas in the bottom of the fourth added 5.8 percentage points to Atlanta's win probability, the single most impactful offensive play of the game. Drake Baldwin's single off Mikolas in the second inning added another 5.4 points, helping establish the early cushion. Washington had chances to claw back, but Keibert Ruiz grounded into a double play in the top of the third off Martín Pérez, costing the Nationals 4.7 percentage points, and Brady House's strikeout in the fourth erased another 4.6 points of potential. An error in the third that benefited Nasim Nuñez added 3.7 points for Washington, though it proved a fleeting moment.
Martín Pérez was the game's most dominant individual, posting a model-leading plus-21.2 percent WPA on the mound for Atlanta, suppressing the Nationals lineup deep into the contest and anchoring what became a wire-to-wire Braves victory. Dominic Smith led Atlanta's offensive contributors at plus-8.3 percent WPA and plus-1.6 RE24, while Ronald Acuña Jr. added plus-5.9 percent WPA and plus-1.5 RE24 to round out a well-distributed Atlanta effort. The model leans toward Atlanta having controlled this game at virtually every stage once Pérez settled in and Smith's fourth-inning home run expanded the lead.