WASHINGTON (Interstat) — JR Ritchie allowed a home run to the first batter he faced in the major leagues, then allowed only one more run over seven innings, leading the Atlanta Braves to a 7-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Thursday afternoon at Nationals Park.

The 22-year-old right-hander, selected 35th overall in the 2022 amateur draft, gave up five hits, struck out seven and walked two in his debut. He threw 54 of 89 pitches for strikes, mixing 24 fastballs with 25 curves, 19 changeups, 10 sliders, seven cutters and four sinkers. Ritchie became the winning pitcher, moving to 1-0, as the Braves won for the eighth time in nine games and improved to 18-8.

Washington’s James Wood launched a solo homer on Ritchie’s first pitch of the game, a fly ball to right field that gave the Nationals a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. The homer was Wood’s 10th of the season.

Atlanta tied the game in the top of the fourth inning. Matt Olson led off with a double, and Austin Riley followed with a double to put runners on second and third. Ozzie Albies then lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Olson. Michael Harris II singled to center, driving in Riley and making the score 2-1 Braves.

The Nationals answered in the bottom of the fourth when CJ Abrams hit a solo homer to center field, his seventh of the year, knotting the game at 2-2.

The game remained tied until the top of the seventh inning, when the Braves broke it open with four runs. After Ronald Acuña Jr. struck out, Drake Baldwin walked. Olson singled to center, sending Baldwin to third. Austin Riley then walked to load the bases. Albies delivered a two-run single to right field, scoring Olson and Riley. Harris followed with a double to center that scored Albies. Dominic Smith added an RBI single to push the lead to 6-2.

Albies added an exclamation point in the top of the ninth inning with a solo homer to right-center field, his fifth of the season. He finished 3 for 4 with four RBIs. Harris went 3 for 4 with two RBIs.

Cionel Pérez, the Nationals’ losing pitcher, fell to 1-3. He allowed one run on two hits in two innings of relief, striking out two and walking one.

Washington starter Cade Cavalli pitched five innings, allowing seven hits and two runs while striking out 10. He did not factor into the decision.

The Braves’ bullpen held the Nationals scoreless over the final two innings. Dylan Lee threw a perfect eighth with two strikeouts, and Carlos Carrasco worked a perfect ninth with one strikeout.

For Washington, Nasim Nuñez had two hits, and Daylen Lile singled twice. The Nationals managed only five hits in the game, three of them through the first four innings.

The game featured a key defensive play in the second inning when Braves catcher Drake Baldwin caught Daylen Lile attempting to steal home. Lile had advanced to third on a single by Jorbit Vivas, but Baldwin threw to shortstop Mauricio Dubón, who relayed to third baseman Austin Riley for the tag.

The attendance at Nationals Park was 14,613. The game lasted 2 hours, 32 minutes.

The Braves have won three of four games in the series against Washington, with the finale scheduled for Thursday. The teams split a three-game set earlier in the week, with Atlanta winning the opener 9-4 on Monday, losing 11-4 on Tuesday and winning 8-6 on Wednesday.

Atlanta’s offense produced 14 hits, led by Albies and Harris with three each. Olson, Riley, Smith and Acuña each had two hits. Olson doubled and scored twice. Riley doubled and scored twice. Baldwin walked twice and stole a base.

Washington’s batters struck out 13 times, including seven by Ritchie. The Nationals’ pitchers combined for 10 strikeouts but allowed 14 hits and seven walks.

The Braves’ next game is Friday at home against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Nationals travel to Chicago to face the White Sox on Friday.

The most important sequence of the game occurred in the top of the seventh inning. With the score tied at 2-2, the Braves loaded the bases with no outs on a walk and two singles. Albies’ two-run single broke the tie, and Harris’ double extended the lead. The four-run inning gave Atlanta a commanding 6-2 lead, and the Nationals never threatened again.

Before the seventh, the game had been tightly contested. Ritchie, after allowing the leadoff homer, retired 10 of the next 11 batters before Abrams’ homer in the fourth. He then finished his outing by retiring nine of the final 11 hitters he faced, including four strikeouts.

Albies, who entered the game batting .276 with four homers, raised his RBI total to 18 with his four-run performance. Harris, the center fielder, improved his average to .302 with his three-hit game.

The Braves have won five of their last six road games. The Nationals have lost four of their last five.