Chris Sale earned his first win against Washington, Ronald Acuña Jr. homered and the Atlanta Braves beat the Nationals 11-5 on Monday night. The Braves continued their strong run over the final two weeks of the season with their ninth straight win, their longest run since 2023. Sale (6-5) allowed five runs on three hits over five innings. It was the second time Sale has allowed five earned runs in his 19 starts this season. Nationals RHP Brad Lord (5-8, 4.18 ERA) will face Braves RHP Hurston Waldrep (5-1, 3.04) on Tuesday.