ATLANTA _ Just when it looked like the Braves' rallying days were fading and the Nationals' dominance against them would continue unabated, the Braves flexed some muscle, the Nats got sloppy and the game turned around in the late innings Friday night.
But after scoring six runs in the sixth through eighth innings including a two-run, game-tying double from Freddie Freeman in the eighth, the Braves lost 7-6 when Jim Johnson gave up a run on two singles and a walk in the ninth inning.
The Braves have lost six consecutive games and eight of seven, including four in a row against the Nationals in the past seven days. They fell to 1-10 against the Nationals for the season.
Trailing 5-0, the Braves staged a rally fueled by home runs from Nick Markakis and Ender Inciarte in the sixth and seventh innings and an opposite-field gapper from Freeman to cap a three-run eighth.
The Nats had scored a run in the top of the eighth on a two-out, two-base throwing error by third baseman Gordon Beckham. Washington defenders returned the favor in the bottom of the inning with two infield errors.
Braves rookie shortstop Dansby Swanson led off the eighth with a double, his first extra-base hit in his third major league game. After a fielder error and a run-scoring fielder's choice by Inciarte, pinch-hitter Jeff Francoeur reached on a throwing error and Freeman followed with his double to tie it at 6.
Swanson's infield single in the ninth inning gave him his second two-hit game.
Freeman had a would-be tying homer robbed in the fourth inning when center fielder Ben Revere made a sensational leaping catch with his glove above the fence.
Julio Teheran came back from the disabled list and had his season-long bad luck and home-field misfortunes continue unabated. An infield hit and a bloop single figured big in a two-run fifth inning for the Nationals and Teheran remained winless in 13 starts at Turner Field.
Teheran was replaced after giving up three runs, six hits and three walks in five innings, his pitch count at 90 in his first start since missing nearly three weeks with a back-muscle strain behind his pitching shoulder.
The Braves trailed 5-0 before Inciarte's two-out, two-run homer in the sixth against Nationals starter Tanner Roark, who left after giving up a solo homer to Markakis with one out in the seventh inning. Markakis has nine homers including seven in his past 37 games.
The Nationals pushed the lead back to three runs, 6-3, on third baseman Beckham's error with two out in the eighth.
Braves rookie reliever Madison Younginer was charged with two runs and three hits in the sixth, one of those runs scoring on the first error for Swanson, an off-target throw to first base with two on and none out. (It was ruled a hit, with the runner scoring on the throwing error.)
Swanson also bobbled a ground ball on the back edge of the infield in the fifth inning, which was ruled a hit, and had a bloop hit bounce off the heel of his glove in the same inning when he raced out to shallow left field and appeared to trip just as he was lunging for the ball.
Teheran got no decision to remain 0-5 with a 3.22 ERA in 13 starts at Turner Field, compared to 3-4 with a 2.49 ERA in nine road starts. His run support was already the worst among major league starters before Friday at 2.87 runs per nine innings pitched, and that was further reduced as the Braves failed to score while he was in the game.
After going 3-7 with a 2.46 ERA and .183 opponents' average in his first 16 starts, Teheran is 0-2 with a 4.28 ERA and .289 OA in six starts in July and August, his schedule in that span disrupted by a thigh infection and back strain.
It was the 16th time in Teheran's 22 starts that the Braves scored two runs or fewer while he was in the game, and the ninth time in his past 18 starts that they scored one or no runs while he was in.
The Nationals jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first when rookie Trea Turner, quickly becoming a Braves nemesis, led off with a double, advanced on a sacrifice and scored on a Bryce Harper groundout. After Wilson Ramos' two-out double, Teheran recorded 10 outs in the next 11 batters, including a third-inning double play on left fielder Matt Kemp's strong throw to first base ahead of the retreating Turner, who had strayed too far on Revere's fly out.
After Revere robbed Freeman of a would-be 25th homer to preserve a 1-0 lead, which the Nationals extended with two runs in each of the next two innings.
