Washington Nationals 2-1 over Milwaukee Brewers on two RBI doubles by Anthony Rendon

Anthony Rendon hit two RBI doubles in the Washington Nationals 2-1 win over Milwaukee’s Brewers in the series opener in Nationals Park, driving Trea Turner in each time for the only runs the Nats needed in their fifth straight win overall and their eighth in the last ten.

Corbin vs Milwaukee: Patrick Corbin gave up two earned runs in six innings on the mound in Citi Field last weekend, receiving no decision in what ended up a 4-3 loss, which left the left-hander with a 5.13 ERA and a .265/.329/.470 line against in 13 starts and 72 IP away from the nation’s capital this season, in which he’s gone (3-4).

Tonight, the Nationals’ starter was back in D.C., however, where he had a (6-1) record in 11 starts, with a 1.78 ERA and a stingy .189/.240/.265 line against in 75 ²⁄₃ IP before taking the hill against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Corbin tossed two scoreless to start, on 27 pitches, but a 1-0 fastball to Orlando Arcia in the top of the third went out over the GEICO wall in center field in Nationals Park for a solo shot that gave the Brew Crew a 1-0 lead in the series opener.

Corbin gave up a double by Adrian Houser, the opposing pitcher, in the next at bat, and surrendered a single by Lorenzo Cain to put runners on the corners with no one out, but both runners were stranded three outs later with the southpaw working his way out of a jam.

He worked his way out of a second-and-third, two-out jam in the top of the fourth as well, and stranded runners on the corners in the fifth, after back-to-back, two-out hits by both Ryan Braun and Yasmani Grandal.

Corbin walked Manny Piña in the first at bat of the sixth, and put Cain on with a two-out free pass, but stranded both runners in a 22-pitch frame that left him at 110 and ended his start.

Patrick Corbin’s Line: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 8 Ks, 1 HR, 110 P, 61 S, 8/2 GO/FO.

Houser vs Washington: In nine starts this season, 26-year-old Brewers’ right-hander Adrian Houser had a 6.00 ERA and a .315/.373/.549 line against in 39 IP, (as opposed to his 1.47 ERA and .180/.254/.270 line against in 17 games and 30 ²⁄₃ IP as a reliever), before taking the hill as Milwaukee’s starter in tonight’s series opener in D.C.

Houser tossed two scoreless on 33 pitches, but hit Trea Turner to start the Nationals’ half of the third, and Turner stole second (after Adam Eaton K’d trying to bunt with two strikes) and Anthony Rendon followed with an RBI double that tied things up at 1-1 a half-inning after the Brewers jumped out to a 1-0 lead.

Houser held the Nationals to one run through six, throwing just 86 pitches total (to Patrick Corbin’s 110), to keep it a 1-1 game, and he came back out with a nine-pitch, 1-2-3 seventh that left him at 95 pitches on the night.

Adrian Houser’s Line: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 Ks, 95 P, 62 S, 11/4 GO/FO.

Turn-on & SotOBP: Trea Turner singled the third time up against Reds’ righty Trevor Bauer on Wednesday, extending his on-base streak to 22-straight games, over which the 26-year-old shortstop collected hits in 20 games, going 31 for 91 (.341/.408/.538) with a total of four doubles, a triple, four home runs, and 11 walks.

Turner reached via HBP in the third, scoring the Nationals’ only run through six to extend his streak to 23 straight.

Juan Soto, 20, walked the first time up against Bauer and the Reds, extending his own on-base streak to 19 straight games, with hits in 15 of 19, going 20 for 66 (.303/.447/.712), with three doubles, eight home runs, and 18 walks over that stretch.

Soto went 0 for 3 against Adrian Houser, and grounded out in an eighth-inning at bat vs Brewers’ lefty Alex Claudio, ending his on-base streak with an 0 for 4 game.

BULLPEN ACTION: Daniel Hudson came on for the Nationals in a 1-1 game in the seventh and tossed a scoreless, 16-pitch frame, working around a one-out single.

Hunter Strickland gave up a double to right by Eric Thames with two down in the top of the eighth, on a ball that almost went out but bounced off the out-of-town scoreboard and fell to the track. A groundout from Lorenzo Cain ended a 13-pitch frame.

Junior Guerra took over for the Brewers in the bottom of the eighth inning and walked Trea Turner to start frame. Adam Eaton bunted Turner over to second, and Anthony Rendon hit his second RBI double of the game to right to bring the runner in and make it a 2-1 game in the Nationals’ favor.

Sean Doolittle came on with a one-run lead in the ninth and issued a four-pitch walk to the first batter he faced, Keston Hiura, but got Christian Yelich swinging at an 0-2 slider for out No. 1, got a groundout from Ryan Braun for out No. 2, and to a fly to right field from Yasmani Grandal to end it. Ballgame. 2-1 final.

Nationals now 66-55