Ritchie allows HR on first big league pitch, then leads Braves over Nats 7-2 for 8th win in 9 games

WASHINGTON (AP) — JR Ritchie allowed a home run to James Wood on his first major league pitch, then rebounded to allow one more run over seven innings and lead the Atlanta Braves over the Washington Nationals 7-2 on Thursday for their eighth win in nine games.

Ozzie Albies homered and had four RBIs for the Braves, who broke a 2-2 tie with four runs in the seventh.

A 22-year-old right-hander selected 35th overall in the 2022 amateur draft, Ritchie (1-0) struck out seven, walked two and threw 54 of 89 pitches for strikes. He averaged 94.4 mph with 24 fastballs and also mixed in 25 curves, 19 changeups, 10 sliders, seven cutters and four sinkers.

Wood homered on a fastball over the middle of the strike zone, his National League-leading 10th home run of the season, and CJ Abrams went deep on a changeup below the strike zone in the fourth. Washington did not get a hit after Daylen Lile's two-out single in the fourth.

Ritchie started the season at Triple-A Gwinnett and went 3-1 with a 0.99 ERA in five starts. Atlanta selected the contracts of Richie and right-hander Carlos Carrasco from the Stripers before the game, optioned right-hander Didier Fuentes to Gwinnett and placed left-hander Dylan Dodd on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Wednesday because of left spine inflammation.

Ritchie became the first Braves pitcher to allow two runs or fewer over seven-plus innings in his debut since Matt Wisler in 2015.

Albies' sacrifice fly and Harris' RBI single gave Atlanta a 2-1 lead in the fourth

With the score 2-2 in the seventh, Atlanta loaded the bases on walks by Drake Baldwin and Austin Riley around Matt Olson's single off Cionel Pérez (0-1). Gus Varland threw a run-scoring wild pitch, Albies hit a two-run single and Michael Harris II followed with an RBI double.

Harris left in the middle of the seventh because of left quadriceps tightness.

Albies had three of Atlanta's 14 hits, homering in the ninth against Julian Fernández.

Cade Cavalli gave up two runs and seven hits in five innings with a 10 strikeouts — four more than his previous career high.

Washington has lost five of seven.

Nationals: RHP Miles Mikolas (0-3, 9.15 ERA) starts Friday's series opener at the Chicago White Sox, who send former Nationals RHP Erick Fedde (0-3, 3.92 ERA) to the mound

Braves: RHP Grant Holmes (1-1, 3.42 ERA) starts a homestand opener against Philadelphia and rookie RHP Andrew Painter (1-1, 4.42 ERA)..

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Atlanta Braves starting pitcher JR Ritchie throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher JR Ritchie (60) throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr., center, celebrates with JR Ritchie (60) and others after a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher JR Ritchie, left center, hugs his fiancée Makena Miller after winning his major league debut baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher JR Ritchie, back, hugs his fiancée Makena Miller after winning his major league debut baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks are finalizing a deal with Taylor Jenkins to fill their head-coaching position that became vacant after Doc Rivers’ departure, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because no hire had been announced. ESPN first reported that the Bucks were finalizing a deal with Jenkins.

Jenkins coached the Memphis Grizzlies from 2019-25 and posted a 250-214 record that included three straight playoff appearances from 2021-23. The playoff-bound Grizzlies fired him with nine games left in the 2024-25 season and went on to get swept by eventual champion Oklahoma City in the first round of that year’s playoffs.

This would represent a return to Milwaukee for Jenkins, who was an assistant coach on Mike Budenholzer’s staff during the 2018-19 season. The Bucks posted an NBA-best 60-22 record that season before blowing a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals to the eventual champion Toronto Raptors.

Jenkins would be taking over a Bucks team that is entering a critical summer after going 32-50 this season, ending a streak of nine straight playoff appearances.

The Bucks announced Rivers’ departure as coach on April 13, the day after their season ended.

Rivers went 97-103 in 2 1/2 seasons with the Bucks. He owns a 1,194-866 overall record and ranks sixth in NBA career coaching wins.

Milwaukee’s main offseason concern regards the future of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has spent his entire 13-season NBA career with the Bucks.

Antetokounmpo, 31, is eligible to become a free agent after next season if he doesn’t sign a four-year, $275 million contract extension in October. Or the Bucks could trade him beforehand if they don’t believe he will sign that extension.

Antetokounmpo was asked after the Bucks’ season finale whether he’d sign an extension.

“It’s something I have to sit down with my family and see what’s best for me, what’s best for my family,” he replied.

By the end of the season, Antetokounmpo and the Bucks were at odds over the nine-time All-NBA forward's health status. Antetokounmpo played a career-low 36 games this season.

Antetokounmpo said late in the season that he wanted to play and was healthy enough to do so, while the Bucks were ruling him out due to a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise. The NBA was investigating the matter.

Jenkins worked with Antetokounmpo during his earlier stint with the Bucks. He had been on Budenholzer's staffs both in Atlanta and Milwaukee before the Grizzlies hired him in 2019, the same year they selected Ja Morant with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.

Memphis reached the second round of the playoffs under Jenkins in 2022 and lost in the first round in 2021 and 2023. Jenkins' 250 career coaching wins with the Grizzlies are the most in franchise history.

AP Pro Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

FILE - Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins calls to players in the first half of an Emirates NBA Cup basketball game against the Denver Nuggets Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill, File)

FILE - Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins calls a play against the Utah Jazz during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rob Gray, File)

FILE - Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins instructs his team in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers Saturday, April 6, 2024, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Nikki Boertman, File)