Braves 7, Nationals 2: Ritchie Shakes Off a First-Pitch HR to Wood

April 23, 2026 - Washington, D.C. - The Atlanta Braves topped the Washington Nationals 7-2 behind JR Ritchie, who allowed a home run to James Wood on his first major league pitch—then settled in to permit one more run across seven innings, matching the arc ESPN used to frame the night.

Atlanta’s win was its eighth in nine games, the kind of run that turns April math into early division posture.

The reset after a Hollywood start

Wood’s instant splash will live on highlight reels longer than the line score, but Ritchie’s ability to keep pitching is what steadied the game for the Braves once the adrenaline wore off.

AthX Engine fantasy angle

AthX Engine likes a starter who absorbs innings after chaos and still limits damage: Ritchie clears as a strong pitching line once the win probability stabilizes. Wood still banks a headline hitter total for the leadoff blast, even in a loss, while Atlanta’s middle-order traffic adds team fantasy depth.

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What it meant

For Atlanta, it was a maturity win—bad first pitch, good process. For Washington, it was a reminder that one swing can steal the story without stealing the game.

*Sources: MLB.com schedule for April 23, 2026; MLB.com gameday wrap; ESPN box score. AthX Engine fantasy scoring for 2026-04-23. This write-up is for information only and is not financial advice.*