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--C Jesus Flores got a night off after hitting .169 in his last 16 games, a slump that's dropped his batting average to .258 for the season. Manager Manny Acta said Flores' biggest problem has been getting baited into high fastballs. "He'll figure it out," Acta said.
--RF Elijah Dukes had the first multi-homer game of his career, crushing a Clayton Kershaw pitch to center in the first inning and putting a 2-2 offering from Ramon Troncoso in the left field bullpen in the seventh. It came one night after he returned from a strained left calf that kept him out nearly four weeks. "I really don't miss a beat," he said. "I go get my work in. When I'm able to hit, I'm in there right away. I think that's what really keeps me going."
--RHP Garrett Mock struck out four batters in two shutout innings, the most strikeouts by a Nationals reliever this season. Mock had pitched only once since Aug. 16 and had given up four earned runs in his last 3 2/3 innings.
BY THE NUMBERS: 19 -- Times the Nationals had been shut out through Aug. 24, most in the major leagues.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "A lot of guys say when you're tired you have your best day. I've heard that so many times, and it's never really happened to me before until today." -- LF Willie Harris, who hit a grand slam and a homer and drove in a career-high six runs Friday afternoon after getting little sleep following a late-night flight from Philadelphia to Chicago.
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