Washington Nationals drop 3 of 4 in Milwaukee: Brewers take finale, 7-2

Edwin Jackson hasn’t fared well against the Milwaukee Brewers this season. Jackson went 5 ²⁄₃ innings against the NL Central’s second place team this afternoon in the finale of Washington Nationals’ four-game set in Miller Park, giving up five hits, (two home runs), and five runs total, (four earned), after allowing seven hits (three home runs), and seven runs total, (three earned), in five innings on the mound in what ended up an 8-0 loss to the Brew Crew in Nationals Park in late July.

Today in Milwaukee, the Brewers won the third game of four with the Nationals this weekend, 7-2.

Brent Suter (three scoreless), Jeremy Jeffress (two scoreless) and Jacob Barnes (two scoreless) kept the Nats off the board through seven, holding Nationals’ hitters to a total of two hits.

Anthony Swarzak retired the Nats in order in the eighth, and Junior Guerra finished things off in the ninth after giving up two-out walk to Daniel Murphy and a two-run home run by Ryan Zimmerman that made it a 7-2 game.

Nationals now 82-54

HERE’S HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Edwin Jackson gave up three home runs in his July 25th start against the Brewers in Nationals Park, one each by Travis Shaw, Eric Thames, and Manny Pina. This time it was Domingo Santana who started the scoring against the Nationals’ starter, who hit an 0-1 slider out to center and off the scoreboard in Miller Park to put Milwaukee up 1-0 early in the series finale.

• Brewers’ lefty Brent Suter, in his first start since 8/12 (DL stint right trapezius strain) ended up going: 3 IP, 2H, 0R, 0ER, 1BB, 2 Ks, 43 P, 31 S, 5/0 GO/FO. Jeremy Jeffress took over on the mound in the top of the fourth and worked around a walk in a scoreless frame.

• Neil Walker and Ryan Braun hit back-to-back doubles off Jackson, Walker on an 0-1 fastball and Braun on a fastball outside he pushed to right for an RBI two-base hit, 2-0.

• Domingo Santana did it again in the fourth, taking a 1-2 fastball from Jackson for a ride to center for a two-run home run that made it 4-0 Brewers.

• Brewers’ righty Jacob Barnes took over on the mound in the sixth after two scoreless by Jeffress and tossed a quick, 12-pitch, 1-2-3 inning, striking out Trea Turner and Daniel Murphy.

• Neil Walker doubled in his second consecutive at bat to lead off the sixth, and took third base on a passed ball when Jose Lobaton got turned around on a 94 mph fastball from Jackson didn’t catch it. Travis Shaw followed with a sac fly to right to bring Walker in, 5-0.

• Edwin Jackson’s Line: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 5 Ks, 2 HRs, 95 P, 63 S, 4/4 GO/FO.

• Enny Romero made his first appearance since returning from the DL, recording the final out of the Brewers’ sixth.

• Romero came back out for the bottom of the seventh and gave up a leadoff walk and one-out single, but stranded both runners, recording four outs on 30

• Anthony Swarzak retired the Nationals in order in the seventh, setting down Michael A. Taylor (looking), Adam Lind (swinging), and Raudy Read (groundout in his first MLB at bat).

• Austin Adams took the mound for the Nationals in the bottom of the eighth, with Read behind the plate, and gave up a single and back-to-back walks... but he got a force at home on one-hop liner to short by Keon Broxton before throwing a wild pitch that got by Raudy Read and hit the home plate umpire straight in the grill, allowing the Brewers’ sixth run to score, 6-0. Manny Pina’s sac fly made it 7-0.

• Junior Guerra gave up a two-out walk to Daniel Murphy, and a two-run home run by Ryan Zimmerman (No. 30) before he finished the night. Final Score: 7-2 Brewers.

NATIONALS PREGAME NOTES:

• With last night’s win, Washington improved to 43-45 in the all-time series with the Milwaukee Brewers.
• The Nationals’ win last night left them 42-26 on the road this season, the most road wins in the NL, and second-highest road winning percentage (.618).
• After last night’s loss, the Brewers are 38-32 at home this season and 7-2 over their last nine games in Miller Park.
• Washington’s starters entered the series finale in Milwaukee with the lowest opponents’ AVG in the majors (.229), lowest opponents’ SLG (.382), second-lowest opponents’ OBP (.297), second-lowest ERA (3.45) and the third-most strikeouts (846).
• Washington’s offense started the day leading the NL in SLG (.456), runs scored (707) and OPS (.791), and ranked second in the National League in AVG (.270), and extra-base hits (473).
• Brewers’ starter Brent Suter started the day (4-1) with a 3.20 ERA in 16 games, four starts, and 39 ¹⁄₃ IP in Miller Park.
• This afternoon’s start is Edwin Jackson’s 20th career appearance against Milwaukee, and his 17th start. He began the day (6-8) with a 3.92 ERA vs the Brewers.

Nationals now 82-54