Yastrzemski attributed his turnaround to a mental adjustment. "I was trying to do too much early on in the year," he said.
"Sometimes the harder you try, the harder it gets. You just have to let the game come to you."
Designated hitter Dominic Smith has also been productive, carrying a . 978 OPS over 40 games.
He hit a home run on Wednesday after an 11-pitch at-bat and later scored on an unusual play that drew attention from teammates.
Smith described his approach during the long at-bat: "I was really conscious of getting the barrel to that heater inside...
but then he hung a curveball, and I was able to just really ride my swing through it."
The Nationals adjusted their pitching plans for Friday, starting left-hander Richard Lovelady instead of the originally scheduled Miles Mikolas.
The Braves will counter with Bryce Elder, who owns a 2.01 ERA, facing a Washington offense led by James Wood and C.
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J. Abrams.
