Nationals 4, Brewers 0
MILWAUKEE -- Max Scherzer was perfect through six innings and right-fielder Clint Robinson had a two-run double as the Washington Nationals earned a split in their four-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers with a 4-0 victory Sunday afternoon at Miller Park.
Scherzer (7-5) plowed through the Brewers lineup twice, striking out 11, before center fielder Carlos Gomez led off the seventh inning with a bloop single into short right field.
The right-hander left him stranded, though, and went the distance, striking out a career-high and franchise-single-game record 16 Milwaukee batters while earning just the second shutout of his career.
Offensively, the Nationals got just enough to back up Scherzer.
They scored two against right-hander Taylor Jungmann (1-1), who struggled in just his second major league start, giving up two runs, seven hits and two walks with two wild pitches and a hit batter while striking out five in five innings.
The damage, though, could have been even greater as Washington stranded six over the first five innings and eight total for the day, while going 3-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
Second baseman Anthony Rendon's sacrifice fly in the third and an RBI single by catcher Jose Lobaton gave Scherzer a 2-0 lead that was enough until Robinson came through with his two-out double in the seventh off Brewers right-hander Jeremy Jeffress.
Washington had lost nine of its last 11 before taking two in a row from Milwaukee. The consecutive victories were the Nationals' first since May 24-25 against the Phillies and Cubs, respectively.
NOTES: Nationals RF Bryce Harper was not in the lineup Sunday because of a sore knee. Harper was hit in the knee with a pitch in the ninth inning Saturday. ... Washington announced that the team acquired SS Trea Turner from the San Diego Padres, completing a three-team trade that took place last winter. Turner, who was batting .322 with five home runs and 35 RBIs for the Padres' Double-A affiliate will join Double-A Harrisburg. ... C Jonathan Lucroy got a day off Sunday. Since returning from the disabled list June 12, he had played in 12 consecutive games. 3B Aramis Ramirez also got a day off Sunday. He had played in 27 of Milwaukee's last 28 games. ... After taking two of the first three games of the series, the Brewers were looking to clinch their third consecutive series victory Sunday. They haven't won three series in a row since May 23-June 1, 2014.