Braves vs. Nationals Game Highlights (5/22/25) | MLB Highlights

Tough news a couple of days ago, Franny. After the win, the Nationals announcing that Dylan Cruz landing on the I.L. with an oblique injury. The saying goes, with injury comes opportunity, and for Robert Hassel III, the opportunity has come calling now, his big league debut tonight. For Robert Hassel III, have a fun night, man. This is one of those things you dream of, your major league debut. The Nationals' veteran right-hander, Trevor Williams. Franny, he faced the Braves his last start. Pitched okay, did not walk a batter, struck out four, making his tenth outing of the year. Verdugo one for four on Tuesday night. Lined out to left, Wood comes in, and a chest-high grab for out number one. So the lefty Verdugo retired, here's Austin Riley, got him. There's that sweeper, which has been far and away his best pitch over the last season plus. Yeah, you said lefties have crushed him, OPS of over a thousand, and now you get the lefty Matt Olsen coming up here. Matt Olsen sends this deep down the right field line and into the bullpen, and that is how Atlanta grabs the lead in the first inning. Make it four home runs in the last five games for Matty O. Impressive to see the run that he is on. We've seen some towering high home runs from Matt Olsen. This is a low-line drive, there's a little cut on that four-seam fastball at 89 miles an hour, but not enough to get below the barrel against Ole in the way that he is swinging it. So Matt Olsen turning things around, and now here's Ozuna. Ozuna's thinking back-to-back. There she goes! A big fly for the big bear! Two to nothing, Atlanta. The surprising thing here, as good as the Braves have been with the power, Trevor Williams has not allowed very many home runs. It hasn't been a great year, but just five home runs coming into this one in his nine starts. Make it seven here through nine-plus starts. Start number ten, and Marcel Ozuna just absolutely unloading. Here's Drake Baldwin, who was a force against the Nationals in Atlanta last week. Trevor gets to the little tapper and throws out Baldwin, but the back-to-back shots have put the Braves up two-nothing. The rookie A.J. Smith-Shauver, second time in a row that he has faced the Nationals last Thursday in Atlanta, and now this Thursday here in D.C. C.J. Abrams will lead it off. Abrams, deep center, but Harris back there, he's got it. James Wood with one out. That'll be a knock for James Wood. He just rounded first. Worked the count full, a little squibber state fair, and he's a board with one out. Here's Nathaniel Lowe, gonna guide one through the hole on the right side. Back-to-back hits for the Nats, looking to answer the two-spot put up by the Braves in the top of the first. Another cleanup batter, Quebert Ruiz. There's his mom, Lady, his dad, Jose, here from Venezuela, watching Quebert play a big league game in person for the first time. And drives it out to right. Will it stay fair into the corner? It will, off the wall. In to score is Wood. Stop sign held up for Nathaniel Lowe, and Quebert Ruiz batting in front of his parents in a big league game for the very first time, an RBI double. Oh, what a moment. And now a chance for Luis Garcia Jr. Grounder, Olsen looks at third. Oh, now they've got the runner, Ruiz, in between second and third. They'll tag him out. So now two in scoring position with two down, and here's Josh Bell. Josh Bell lifts the 0-1 out into left center. Good job of damage control by Smith-Schauber, only giving up the one run. Oh, here he comes. For your Washington Nationals, the center fielder, number 57, Robert Hassel III! Major League debut for Robert Hassel III, and he singles to right! Check that box for the 23-year-old from Franklin, Tennessee. Here's Alex Call. And now he's off. Throw down, not in time. Take the base, take the base. Robert Hassel III, his first big league hit, his first Major League stolen base right after. Mace is loaded, and nobody out. Most RBI-versed the Braves since the start of last season, C.J. Abrams. Abrams, a line drive up the middle. Hassel in to score. Nationals will all move up 90 feet. The line keeps on moving. Bases loaded, no outs. Here's the pitch to Wood. Holds. Yeah, fair. Fair down the line. That'll hit off the sidewall and kick away. Call in to score. Ten up behind him. Here comes Abrams. Gets around the catcher Murphy, and a bases-clearing double for James Wood. Five-two Nats here in the second. Two away. Now Alex Call will come to the plate for the second time. The wind of the pitch by Smith-Shawver swung on, sliced in the air to deep right center. White going back, way back to the wall. He leaps, and he can't make the play. Off the wall, around second, speeding for third, and he'll be in with a stand-up triple. His second three-base hit of the year. Nationals keeping the pressure on A.J. Smith-Shawver, and a chance to tack on one more with two down. One-one on the fly ball to the left field. Alex Verdugo back, still back, squares up to it, makes the catch. His shot, a warning track, round number three. Well, here we go. Got a chance against Williams. Bases loaded. Let's see what Michael Harris can do. Little flare, left center, get down. It will. Abrams can't get to it. Brazel scored two, and it's five to four. Those are two big runs the Braves very much needed. Nationals turning to their bullpen, and Brad Lord here to face Verdugo with the bases loaded and two away. Payoff pitch. Downstairs he did not go, and he walks in the tying run, does Brad Lord, and Abrams with a lead-off walk in the bottom of the fourth, and with that, Aaron Bummer is throwing for Atlanta. Now, Brian Snitker's going to make the change here at a 2-0 count, not wanting to risk anything in a 5-5 game. Bummer does ultimately walk James Wood here, so two on to start the bottom of the fourth. Abrams to third, Wood to second, and now another spot here for Quebert Ruiz. As Ruiz lines one out there to center for a base hit, Abrams into score, and Quebert Ruiz drives in his second run of the night and puts his team on top 6-5. Here's Luis Garcia, Jr. Now, Luis, one out to short, picked nicely by Allen. Hustling down the line is Garcia, though, to beat it out, and that'll allow Wood to score and make it 7-5. Fairchild, who's batting .252 on the year, he shows bunt, puts one down, Ferrer has got it, spins and fires wild down the right-field line. Fairchild digging for second base, up with it at right-field call. He fires it in. It's too late. Two bases for Fairchild. Put the pressure on Ferrer, and he aired one out down the right-field line. There's the start you're looking for. And there's two down. Lopez is hot out there in the National Bullpen, but Davey's going to stick with the left-hander Ferrer against Marcel Ozuna. And now another single. Stuart Fairchild races around third, and it's back to a one-run game in the seventh. And Ozuna keeps his perfect night going. It's a big night for the Big Bear here in D.C. So, two-out single for Bell. Brings up Robert Hassel III. Oh! That'll get it done. What a thing. Multi-hit game for Robert Hassel III in his big league debut. Keeps the line moving here for Alex Call. That one looked like it hit him, and it did. So from two outs, nobody on. Bases loaded for the Nationals here in the bottom of the seventh. And here's Jose Tena in a big spot. Out to left field. Eli White is there. And the 11-pitch at-bat ends on the side of the Braves. It's still 7-6. Well, it was hit hard, 109 off the bat here, but it looked like it could have been a game-ending double play because it was pretty much right at Tena. And the door is ajar for Atlanta in the ninth. And now the hot-hitting Matt Olsen. Matt Olsen out to right center field. Call sprints back. It is off the wall. One run is in. Here comes Riley. Play at the plate. And they got him. Braves rolled the dice to try to score two, but Ruiz applies the tag. They only get one, and it's tied at seven. What a great job by Alex Call. Make the third baseman come in and field it. Hassel advancing the third, and the winning run now 90 feet away. Ahmed Rosario will pinch hit for the left-handed hitting Jose Tena. Rosario! Singles to left. Hassel comes home with the game-winning run. And the Nationals walk it off 8-7. Five straight wins for Washington, and their first extra inning win of the season.