Nationals hand Braves their fourth straight loss

Adam Dunn hit two home runs and drove in five runs, Willie Harris hit an inside-the-park homer and Jordan Zimmermann won his first game in 15 months as the Washington Nationals sent the reeling Atlanta Braves to their fourth straight defeat, 8-3, on Friday night.

The Braves, who were swept in a crucial three-game series by first-place Philadelphia, began the day one-half game ahead of San Diego in the NL wild card race. Washington, which won its fourth straight - its longest winning streak of the season - denied retiring manager Bobby Cox his 2,500th win in his 4,500th game as a major league manager.

Dunn, who missed Thursday's game with elbow and hamstring injuries, hit both home runs off Nationals nemesis Tim Hudson.

Hudson (16-9) dropped to 10-2 against the Nationals franchise. He allowed six runs and seven hits in 52/3 innings. Hudson walked six, equaling his career high. His ERA against Washington rose from 1.55 to 1.91.

Dunn led off the second with a long home run to center field, his 36th of the year. He hit a two-run homer into the leftfield bullpen in the third for his 30th multihomer game and sixth this season. Dunn added a two-run single in the sixth off Mike Dunn - giving him 101 RBIs.

Zimmermann (1-2), who missed most of this season after Tommy John surgery last July, won his first game since June 25, 2009. - AP