ATLANTA -- An eight-game losing streak was way too long for Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. Drew Storen Jersey . "It was nice to shake hands," Gonzalez said. "It seems its been an eternity." Justin Upton and Freddie Freeman hit two of Atlantas four homers off Stephen Strasburg, and the Braves snapped their long skid with a 7-6 victory over the Washington Nationals on Friday night. Rain delayed the game by 1 hour, 11 minutes in the middle of the sixth inning. Atlanta, which nearly blew a 7-0 lead, moved within 3 1/2 games of NL East-leading Washington. The Nationals, who had won two straight and four of six, have lost 21 of 30 against the Braves. "After a rough road trip and an off day, its nice to come back and win a ballgame that we needed," Upton said. "Theyre a good ballclub. We split with them the last time we played. Its good to jump out and get the first one." Strasburg (8-10) gave up two more homers than his previous career high. He allowed seven runs, seven hits and two walks with nine strikeouts in five innings, dropping to 1-3 with a 6.99 ERA in seven starts at Turner Field. Strasburg, who fell to 1-8 with a 5.25 ERA in 12 road starts this year, was coming off a dominating home performance against Philadelphia last Sunday, striking out 10, walking one and holding the Phillies scoreless for seven innings. "Just not executing pitches -- thats the bottom line," Strasburg said. "It feels good out of the hand, Im just not hitting the spot well enough. I really dont know how to work on it. Some days Im hitting the spot and some days Im a couple inches up, so Ive got to roll with it, try to miss down instead of miss up." Ervin Santana (11-6) held the Nationals scoreless until the sixth, when Asdrubal Cabrera had an RBI single, and Anthony Rendon hit his 15th homer to make it 7-4. Santana, who allowed four runs, four hits and two walks, struck out four in six innings and won his fourth straight decision. Wilson Ramos fifth homer and Cabreras sacrifice fly cut Atlantas lead to 7-6 off reliever Anthony Varvaro in the seventh. Craig Kimbrel earned his 33rd save in 37 chances by striking out Ramos, retiring Kevin Frandsen on a comebacker, and fanning pinch-hitter Danny Espinosa. The Braves went up 2-0 in the first on Justin Uptons 20th homer, and they made it 6-0 in the second on B.J. Uptons eighth shot and Freemans 16th. Tommy La Stella put Atlanta ahead 7-0 in the fifth with his first career home run. Washingtons Denard Span went 3 for 4 with a run scored and reached base safely for the 34th straight game. TRAINERS ROOM Nationals: RF Jayson Werth was given the night off because of a sore right ankle and right shoulder, but manager Matt Williams said he should be in the lineup for the series next two games. Werths replacement, Steven Souza, hit the wall so hard in an attempt to catch Freemans homer that his glove fell on the warning track. He stayed down on his back for about one minute but remained in the game after a trainer checked on him in right field. Souza lined out in his only at-bat before Frandsen replaced him in the fourth. "Hes OK," Williams said. "He banged the wall pretty good, full speed into the wall. His shoulders hurting, pretty good impact, so well see how he is tomorrow." Braves: SS Andrelton Simmons missed his second straight game with a left ankle sprain, and Gonzalez said the earliest he might return is Monday when the Los Angeles Dodgers visit Turner Field. Billy Hamilton Jersey . Matt Carkner got back into the Ottawa lineup, and made his presence felt right away by settling his clubs score in a one-sided fight with Rangers forward Brian Boyle. Dave Concepcion Jersey .C., has been named Canadas top female official, winning the 2014 SOC Award of Excellence. Cranes career as a figure skating judge has spanned over 40 years. http://www.redsapparelsshop.com/tony-perez-jersey-c-15/ . McCutchen was cut before the series opener against Seattle on Monday night, when Lewis was set for his first start for Texas since July 18, 2012. Texas selected Lewis contract from Triple-A Round Rock. EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Jason Kidds shirt read "GOLF," which he said was more random wardrobe choice than upcoming itinerary. He has plenty of time for that hobby with his first season as an NBA coach over, but it wont be all fun for the Brooklyn Nets this off-season. Not with the potential for surgery for Deron Williams and decisions to make for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, who infused the Nets with a winners mentality when they came from Boston last summer. The Nets and their roster worth nearly $200 million in salaries and taxes couldnt reach their lofty expectations, falling to the Miami Heat in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals. But they surpassed where it appeared they were headed after a 10-21 start and the season-ending loss of All-Star centre Brook Lopez. So even facing some big questions, they like where they sit. "I do think weve got Brooklyn being a place where players want to play and weve got a coach that players want to play for," general manager Billy King said. "I think we play a good style, so I dont look at it as the sky is falling as much weve got some assets and things to do and well work at it." Pierce will be a free agent and showed he can still provide a team with scoring punch at 36. Garnetts game is further gone as he prepares to turn 38 next week. He remains a strong defender and team leader, but averaged a career-low 6.5 points in 54 games, missing a large chunk of the season with back spasms and playing just 20.5 minutes per game as Kidd tried to keep him fresh for the playoffs. Garnett has a year and $12 million remaining on his contract, and the Nets want him back. King said he told Garnett to take some time when they spoke on the plane ride home from Miami, but Kidd realizes Garnett will have to consider walking away from guaranteed money, just as he did when he retired last season. "Hes done it for a long time at a very high level and the biggest thing and concerns that Ive talked to him about is you dont want to leave with someone carrying you off the court," Kidd said. "I mean, its 19 or 20 years thhat hell been playing and also being judged on what youve done, or some people holding you to where if you were 25, which can be unfair at times. Adam Duvall Jersey. But thats just part of the gig, so hes got to make a decision, but the big thing is we want him back because we understand the importance that he brings to this franchise." Neither Pierce nor Garnett spoke when the Nets met with reporters at their practice facility. Andrei Kirilenko, Andray Blatche and Alan Anderson all have player options on their contracts. Shaun Livingston will be a free agent, having to decide if hes found a home with the Nets, or if he can get the lucrative payday that once seemed a cinch but never came after the former No. 4 overall pick wrecked his knee in his third NBA season. Then theres Jason Collins, who became the NBAs first openly gay player when he signed with the Nets in February. He said he doesnt know what his basketball plans are, but he will have far better and more influential options than being a 35-year-old backup centre. "My goal right now is to empower others and also support those like Derrick Gordon, Michael Sam, Robbie Rogers, and over the next months, years, whoever else joins that list of out, active players," Collins said. Williams plans to have an MRI on his ankles that have slowed him the last two seasons and he may end up surgically repairing them in hopes of relocating his game and his confidence. "It just took a beating on me," the two-time Olympian said. "Just couldnt do what I wanted to, cant finish the way I want to finish. You just start thinking about things. So that was just the main thing. Confidence-wise, its hard to get back to where I was." If he gets back to form, Lopez does as well after surgeries on his broken right foot and left ankle, and Pierce and Garnett return, the Nets believe they will be fine next season. After two years of roster and coaching changes, King thinks the Nets biggest need might just be continuity. "Next season, we pick up right where we left off!" owner Mikhail Prokhorov said in a statement. China Jerseys Cheap Wholesale Authentic Jerseys NFL Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys China NFL Jerseys From China ' ' '