ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Brad Wilkerson 's aggressiveness on the bases paid off for the Washington Nationals .

Wilkerson stole third and scored on catcher Brian McCann 's throwing error with one out in the top of the ninth inning as the Nationals recorded a 4-3 triumph over the Atlanta Braves , gaining a split of their doubleheader.

After the Braves rallied for a run in the eighth to tie the game, Wilkerson opened the ninth with a hard single against Chris Reitsma (3-5) and moved into scoring position on Jose Vidro 's sacrifice.

With the lefthanded hitting Nick Johnson at the plate, Wilkerson broke for third and McCann's throw sailed past third baseman Marcus Giles . Wilkerson scored without a play to snap a 3-3 tie.

"I saw that (Reitsma) was slow to the plate," Wilkerson said. "Maybe he's saying that (I'm) not stealing bases and was concentrating on getting the hitter out. If I get thrown out there, it's bad, but it paid off."

"I tried to hurry the throw up and it sailed on me," McCann said. "It's terrible. My job is to go in and catch. I didn't do that. I let one slip. The situation of the whole thing is terrible."

The Braves' regular second baseman, Giles entered the game after three innings when Chipper Jones departed with a stomach virus.

"He's a super third baseman," Cox said of Giles, who had not played third since September 29, 2002 and sported a career .905 fielding percentage at position. "Giles is one of the best third basemen I've ever seen. Ever."

Washington also scored an unearned run in the seventh on an error by second baseman Pete Orr to take a 3-1 lead.

Orr bounced into a forceout in the bottom of the seventh to plate a run and the Braves tied the game in the eighth on Wilson Betemit 's run-scoring single to right field. But on Betemit's hit, right fielder Jose Guillen threw out Adam LaRoche at the plate to keep the game tied.

"I didn't even see the throw," LaRoche said. "He threw a two hopper at him. I feel like I had a chance to get in there. It didn't happen."

Betemit had four hits for Atlanta, which is four games ahead of second-place Philadelphia in the National League East Division.

Mike Stanton (2-3) picked up the win in relief of starter Livan Hernandez , who allowed three runs and 10 hits in 7 1/3 innings. Hernandez is 0-7 in 10 career road starts against Atlanta.

"I don't know (why I haven't won here)," Hernandez said. "I threw a lot of good games and lost. I lost a 1-0 game with the Giants. The more important thing is that I go out an try to win. ... The team win is more important."

Chad Cordero worked around a two-out walk in the ninth for his major league-leading 43rd save to tie John Wetteland for the franchise single-season saves record.

"That's pretty cool to do something like that, Cordero said. He was a great closer. To be associated with a guy like that, it's pretty exciting."

Washington is 1 1/2 games behind Philadelphia in the National League wild card race.

"I guess they decided to give me a birthday present," said Nationals manager Frank Robinson , who turned 70 years old. "We finally made some key plays."

Making his fourth start since returning from the disabled list, Atlanta's John Thomson surrendered two runs and eight hits in six innings. The righthander walked two and struck out three.