WASHINGTON (AP) - Rickards graduate Mallex Smith picked up his first career major league hit, however the braves drop to 0-6 after a 6-4 loss to the Washington Nationals. Atlanta falls to 0-6 for the first time in nearly 30 years. The Washington Nationals, who used Wilson Ramos' four singles and two RBIs to help cover up a shaky start by Max Scherzer on Monday night.
Smith earned his first career hit on an infield single in the second inning. He finished 1-3 at the plate in his debut. Smith had to leave the game in the 4th inning after his helmet hit him in the face cutting him above the eye. This happened while he was caught stealing and his helmet bounced off the ground into his face. Drew Stubbs replaced him in centerfield.
Scherzer (1-0), pitching on a full week's rest, won despite allowing two-run doubles to A.J. Pierzynski and Nick Markakis in the first two innings. The righty wound up going six innings and didn't let Atlanta score again in front of a sparse crowd announced as 18,119.
Ramos drove in the go-ahead run off Bud Norris (0-2) in the fifth, breaking a 4-all tie, and added insurance with an RBI single off Alexi Ogando in the seventh.
Daniel Murphy hit a two-run shot off Norris in the first. He is hitting .471 with two homers and seven RBIs in the first season of a $37.5 million, three-year contract.
