Corbin's slider on target again versus Braves

Patrick Corbin had his slider on target again Monday night, and when it mattered most against a very good opponent, he delivered big time strikeouts.

The Nationals southpaw struck out eight batters and allowed only five hits and two runs over six innings, derailing what could have been a huge fourth frame in dropping the first-place Atlanta Braves 6-3.

"I felt really good," Corbin said. "I thought we mixed up well to a very good-hitting team, minimized mistakes. I thought we stayed out of the middle of the plate. Just the two hits to Freddie (Freeman) were not my best sliders. So those were a couple that started some rallies for them, made me work a little bit harder, but overall felt pretty good."

Anthony Rendon's grand slam snapped a 2-2 tie and pushed the Nats within 4 1/2 games of the lead in the National League East. Washington has won six of its first 10 games this season against their rival Braves.

"They're a good team," Corbin said. "You got to think these games are going to be close, so you just try to go out there and put up zeros or, if anything, minimize damage and tonight was able to do that to hold them to two. The offense came up big there, got some guys on base and put them in a tough situation to pitch to our best hitter."

Corbin (9-5) did not allow a hit until the fourth. That was the inning the Braves went after him looking to erase a 2-0 Nats lead.

Following a called third strike on Ozzie Albies, Freddie Freeman singled and went to second base on a wild pitch. But Corbin battled Josh Donaldson, striking out the slugger on a 1-2 slider.

Adam Duvall then connected with on a sharp line drive to Rendon at third that was backhanded, but his throw to first was over the head of Howie Kendrick. Freeman scored to get the Braves on the board and Rendon was charged with an error.

Leading 2-1, Corbin fought through his next matchup with Austin Riley, recording a called third strike, his fifth strikeout of the game. He mixed up his pitches to Riley and got him looking at a 93 mph two-seam fastball, ending the rally with the go-ahead run on first base.

Nationals manager Davey Martinez said the fastball set up Corbin's slider.

"That slider is a swing-and-miss pitch," Martinez said. "It doesn't have to be in the zone. And he understands that. The thing that makes his slider really good is when he throws strikes with his fastball. It makes it that much better."

In the fifth inning, Corbin showcased the slider almost exclusively. Tyler Flowers, Dallas Keuchel and Ronald Acuña Jr. all struck out on the slider. All three pitches to Acuña were sliders.

"I thought I just threw better sliders today than last time I faced them," Corbin said. "I was really short with them (last time), wasn't myself on that pitch. So I thought today if I could throw some better ones, I could get some swings. But also getting ahead of guys, throwing some for strikes.

"I knew it helped and we froze a couple guys inside with fastballs. Just being able to mix it up, get ahead of these guys. We threw some more changeups today too. You try to stay out of the middle of the plate with these guys, they got some power hitters that can do some damage."

The Braves tied the game in the top of the sixth on a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly from Duvall that was caught up against the left field wall by Juan Soto. But the lefty did his job for the Nats again, spinning 107 pitches, 67 for strikes. He worked ahead for most of the night.

"He's really good," said Martinez. "When that slider's on, it looks like a fastball. It really does. And he was locating it. He was throwing it down and in to righties. He did that all night. That last inning, they started laying off a little bit. But it was a little bit of a slower slider. It wasn't that sharp. He got a big out when we needed it, and he kept us in the ballgame."

Rendon's grand slam changed the complexion of the game, making Corbin's quality start that much more valuable. In his 11 starts at home this season, Corbin is 6-1 with a 1.78 ERA, 86 strikeouts and 17 walks.

The Nats still have nine more regular season games remaining against Atlanta, five at home.

"You want to face these guys," Corbin said of the matchup versus the Braves. "We're chasing them. They've had a great season so far. But we feel we're just as good as them. We're playing really good baseball. I know we have a lot of games left versus them and hopefully it lines up where I get the ball most of those times."

Corbin is now 6-1 with a 1.96 ERA against the Braves in his career in 11 games (nine starts), including a 5-0 at home.

"He's been amazing, he's not afraid to go after hitters, his tempo's fast," said Rendon. "The defense behind him definitely feeds off it. We're not stagnant out there. We're ready on every pitch."