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Werth, Nix help Nats hold off Braves

May 11, 2011 - 2:54 AM Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Jayson Werth and Laynce Nix both clubbed three- run homers, as the Washington Nationals held on to beat the Atlanta Braves, 7-6, in the opener of a three-game series at Turner Field.

Roger Bernadina scored two runs for Washington, which has won three of its last four games. Jason Marquis (4-1) allowed three runs on seven hits over 7 1/3 innings en route to his 100th career win.

"A lot of hard work and good fortune with health has allowed me to do that," Marquis said about reaching 100 wins.

Dan Uggla's three-run homer capped a five-run eighth inning for the Braves, who had their home win streak snapped at five games. Martin Prado added a solo shot in defeat.

Atlanta starter Tim Hudson (4-3) surrendered seven runs -- three earned -- on five hits in five frames.

Marquis fanned Braves reliever Cristhian Martinez to begin the eighth. He was replaced by Sean Burnett after Prado scored on a double by Eric Hinske, trimming Atlanta's deficit to 7-2.

Burnett faced two batters in relief of Marquis, giving up an RBI single to Chipper Jones and walk to Brian McCann. Tyler Clippard took over on the mound and Uggla launched his sixth home run of the season, a shot to left-center field.

Drew Storen tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to notch his eighth save.

"This was an ugly game for us but we still battled back in the late innings," Uggla said. "We let them get too far ahead early on."

Washington put its first two batters of the game on base, as Bernadina reached on a fielding error by Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman, stole second and took third on an Ian Desmond infield single. The Nationals scored a run when Werth grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.

Hudson, coming off a one-hit shutout in his previous outing against Milwaukee, gave up home runs to Nix and Werth in the fourth and fifth innings, both with two outs.

After the first two men were retired in the fourth, Adam LaRoche was credited with a single on a grounder that deflected off of Freeman. It was originally ruled an error. Wilson Ramos then lofted a fly ball that was dropped by center fielder Nate McLouth. The poor defense proved costly for Atlanta, as Nix sent a 2-2 pitch to the right-field seats.

The Braves got a run back in the bottom of the inning on Prado's lead off blast, but Werth pushed the lead to 7-1 with a drive over the left-field wall.

Game Notes

Marquis pitched for the Braves from 2000-03...Hudson had only given up one home run in his first seven starts this season...Atlanta won two of three matchups with Washington from March 31-April 3 in the nation's capital.