ATLANTA -- Willie Harris has been at his best at Turner Field this season. Unfortunately for the Braves, it comes as a member of the Washington Nationals.
Harris went 3-for-5, scored three times and drove home a pair of runs in an 8-1 Nationals win on Saturday. All-Star shorstop Christian Guzman also enjoyed a big evening, knocking in three runs of his own.
The Nationals took full advantage of some defensive lapses on the part of the Braves to score three runs in the third inning. It all got started when Harris singled and promptly stole second base. The throw would have been in time had the ball not been jarred loose from Martin Prado 's glove by the Harris slide.
Following a well placed RBI-double down the line by Paul Lo Duca, Braves right fielder Jeff Francoeur was unable to snare a liner off the bat of Guzman, resulting in a run-scoring triple. Austin Kearns followed with a sacrifice fly to right, with Francoeur launching a throw that sailed all the way to the screen behind home plate.
Washington went on to mount two more big innings, scoring twice in the seventh to drive Jair Jurrjens (9-5) from the game and then three more times against Royce Ring in the eighth.
Jurrjens, who was pitching for the first time in 11 days, allowed five runs on eight hits over six and a third innings of work. He walked one and struck out five.
Washington starter John Lannan (6-9) was in complete control of the Braves offense, scattering seven hits and allowing just one run over six innings.
The night belonged to Harris against his old club. Harris batted .305 at Turner Field while with Atlanta last season, but upped the stakes in his old home park by going 8-for-13 with three doubles and a triple for Washington in 2008.