WASHINGTON (Interstat) — Jared Simpson threw three scoreless innings of relief and the Washington Nationals defeated the Atlanta Braves 9-5 on Tuesday night at Nationals Park.

Simpson, the winning pitcher, worked the fifth through seventh innings and did not allow a hit while striking out three. He lowered the Washington bullpen’s burden after starter Jake Irvin labored through four innings. Irvin allowed five hits and two earned runs with five strikeouts and earned no decision. Orlando Ribalta closed the game with a scoreless ninth, striking out two.

The Nationals broke the game open in the second inning with four runs against Braves starter AJ Smith-Shawver, who took the loss. Smith-Shawver worked 3 2/3 innings and allowed five runs, though the damage could have been worse. He struck out four and walked three. Atlanta relievers Victor Mederos and Blake Burkhalter each threw an inning, with Mederos allowing one hit and no earned runs while striking out one, and Burkhalter allowing one hit and one earned run while striking out one.

Atlanta grabbed the lead first. In the top of the second, Ozzie Albies homered to center field, his 21st of the season, for a 1-0 edge. The Braves added another run in the third when Brewer Hicklen walked, moved to third on a single by Ha-Seong Kim and scored on Drake Baldwin’s double to center, making it 2-0.

Washington answered emphatically in the bottom of the second. Harry Ford walked, and Jorbit Vivas doubled to right field, sending Ford to third. After Jacob Young struck out, CJ Abrams singled to center, scoring Ford and Vivas to tie the game. Dylan Crews walked, and Brady House doubled to right field, scoring Abrams and Crews and giving Washington a 4-2 lead. Daylen Lile struck out to end the inning.

The Nationals extended their lead in the third when Yohandy Morales homered to left-center, his first of the season, making it 5-2. That came after Irvin had retired the first two batters in the bottom of the inning. Harry Ford singled but was left stranded as Vivas grounded out.

Washington added a run in the sixth. Jacob Young singled, moved to third on a lineout by Dylan Crews and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Brady House. That made it 6-2. The Nationals then padded the lead in the seventh. Morales doubled to center, and after Andres Chaparro struck out, Harry Ford grounded out, allowing Morales to reach third. Jorbit Vivas walked, and Jacob Young singled to center, scoring Nasim Nunez, who was pinch-running for Morales, and Vivas for an 8-2 lead. Young’s single was his second hit of the frame and gave him two RBIs for the game.

Atlanta mounted a rally in the top of the eighth. Ha-Seong Kim singled, but Drake Baldwin grounded into a force out, and Ronald Acuña Jr. grounded into another force out. Matt Olson then hit a ground-rule double to center, scoring Acuña from first base to cut the deficit to 8-3. Michael Harris II followed with a home run to left-center, his 24th of the season, scoring Olson and trimming the lead to 8-5. Mauricio Dubón flied out to end the inning.

Washington answered in the bottom of the eighth. Daylen Lile walked, and Yohandy Morales singled to left, sending Lile to second. Andres Chaparro then singled to right, scoring Lile to push the lead to 9-5. Harry Ford struck out to end the frame. Ribalta retired the Braves in order in the ninth, including strikeouts of Austin Riley and Brewer Hicklen, to secure the win.

CJ Abrams went 2 for 4 with two RBIs for Washington, scoring once. Brady House drove in three runs with a sacrifice fly and a double. Morales finished 3 for 5 with a home run and an RBI. For Atlanta, Harris went 1 for 4 with the two-run homer, and Albies went 1 for 4 with a solo shot. Abrams also reached on a walk and scored in the second. The Nationals collected 12 hits, while the Braves had eight.

The attendance was 18,975. The game lasted 2 hours, 43 minutes.

Atlanta saw its season record move to 82-57, while Washington improved to 67-74. The two teams will play again Wednesday night at Nationals Park, with Atlanta sending its next starter against Washington’s scheduled pitcher as the Braves continue a road trip that later takes them to Philadelphia. Washington continues its homestand before heading west to face the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Atlanta Braves 8, Washington Nationals 4. Interstat’s ELO system gave Atlanta a 58.50 percent probability to win, and the Braves were installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The combined total of 14 runs went under the over-under line of 9.5.