Braves enjoy streak, send Nationals to 1-8

Manny Acta hopes a postgame team meeting will wake up Washington’s slumbering offense.

“I’m not a big meeting-type guy,” said Acta, the Nationals’ first-year manager. “But I thought it was the right time.”

Andruw Jones and Chipper Jones homered in the same game for the 56th time, and the Atlanta Braves won their fourth straight game, 8-3, over the Nationals on Wednesday night.

At 7-1, the Braves are off to their best start since 1995, when they won their only World Series in Atlanta.

Washington fell to 1-8, the franchise’s worst start since the Montreal Expos had the same record through nine games in 1998. The Nationals have been outscored, 61-21, and have yet to score in the first three innings of a game. In every game, they have fallen behind by at least 3-0.

The Nationals waited 20 minutes before opening their clubhouse to reporters afterward. Asked to describe his mood during the meeting, Acta indicated he was reassuring.

“I didn’t raise my voice that high,” Acta said.

Before Ryan Church’s RBI double in the eighth off Rafael Soriano, the Atlanta staff had pitched 23 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings.

*

RESULTS

Milwaukee 3-5, at Florida 2-2 (first game 13 innings): Prince Fielder singled in the go-ahead run in the 13th inning, the seventh time he reached base, and the Brewers won the completion of the first suspended game caused by Major League Baseball’s rules change. The game was suspended Tuesday with the score 2-2 after 10 innings and three rain delays. Under the rules change made during the off-season, it was picked up where the teams left off. Fielder was four for four with three singles, a double and three walks. In the scheduled game, Rickie Weeks homered and tripled.

at San Diego 4, San Francisco 0: Pitching three days before his 41st birthday, Greg Maddux gave up six hits, struck out six and walked none in earning his first win with the Padres. Earning his 334th victory, Maddux retired Barry Bonds three times on a total of four pitches. Bonds flied out to left field twice, then lifted a fly ball to right that was caught at the wall.

Philadelphia 5, at New York 2: Adam Eaton (1-1) gave up four hits and three walks in seven innings of his first victory with the Phillies, who took advantage of seven early walks by Oliver Perez (1-1) and avoided starting 1-7 for the first time since 1987. Still looking for their big bats to bust out, they drew 11 walks but stranded 14 runners. With two outs in the third, Perez gave up a single to Chase Utley, walked four straight, and then plunked Rod Barajas with a 2-2 pitch, making it 3-0.

Cincinnati 3, at Arizona 2: Josh Hamilton homered for the second straight game and Javier Valentin hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the seventh inning to help the Reds end a three-game losing streak and salvage the finale of a three-game series. Arizona had a six-game winning streak ended, but at 7-3 the Diamondbacks have matched the fastest 10-game start in the franchise’s 10-year history.

St. Louis 3, at Pittsburgh 2: Chris Duncan hit a pinch-hit homer off Salomon Torres in the ninth inning to give the Cardinals a sweep. The Cardinals scored nine runs -- three in each game. But they limited the Pirates to four runs in 30 innings. Duncan -- hitting for So Taguchi, who had gone three for three with two doubles -- homered with one out in the ninth. Torres (0-1) also blew a 2-0 lead Tuesday.

at Atlanta 8, Washington 3: Chuck James (2-0) earned his 13th win since last June 25, tied with teammate John Smoltz for the most in the NL during that span.

Houston at Chicago, ppd.: The game was postponed because of rain and snow and is expected to be made up July 12.

at Dodgers 3, Colorado 0: Brad Penny (2-0) beat the Rockies for the sixth straight time.