Brewers send Nationals to seventh straight defeat
MILWAUKEE -- Chris Carter hit a three-run home run and Matt Garza earned his first victory of the season as the Milwaukee Brewers extended the Washington Nationals' losing streak to a season-high seven games with a 6-5 victory Saturday afternoon at Miller Park.
Jonathan Villar recorded three hits and stole his 26th base of the season while Aaron Hill had two hits for the Brewers, who won their third in a row.
Milwaukee inflicted most of its offensive damage against Nationals right-hander Gio Gonzalez (3-7), who lasted just three innings and allowed six runs on six hits and a walk while striking out five.
Back-to-back singles by Villar and Hill set the stage for Carter's first-inning blast -- his 19th of the year -- that gave Milwaukee a 3-0 lead.
The Brewers added a run in the second on Villar's RBI single and two more in the third when Gonzalez hit two batters then allowed a run-scoring ground-rule double by Hernan Perez, followed by Scooter Gennett's fielder's choice.
Washington scored four of its five runs by sacrifice.
The Nationals got on the board in the second when Daniel Murphy hit a leadoff triple and scored on a Wilson Ramos single.
A sacrifice bunt by Danny Espinoza and sac fly by pinch-hitter Clint Robinson cut the deficit to 6-3 in the fourth.
Espinoza drove in another with a sac fly in the sixth and Ryan Zimmerman made it a one-run game when he drove a ball to the base of the wall in center, sending home Jayson Werth.
Four runs were charged to Garza (1-0), who went six innings and allowed seven hits with three walks and a strikeout in his third start of the season and his first at Miller Park.
Jeremy Jeffress earned his 21st save with a scoreless ninth inning.
NOTES: LF Ryan Braun returned to Milwaukee's lineup Saturday. He was held out the night before as manager Craig Counsell tried to take advantage of three off-days in an eight-day span to rest some of his regulars. ... LF Jayson Werth was back in Washington's starting lineup Saturday. He, too, got the night off Friday. Werth is batting .389 (21-for-54) with four doubles, a home run and 10 RBI since June 7. ... The Nationals' six-game losing streak coming into the game was a season high. Despite the streak, Washington still began the day with a three-game lead over the New York Mets atop the National League East. ... OF Corey Ray, Milwaukee's first-round draft choice earlier this month (No. 5 overall) signed his contract and took part in batting practice Saturday at Miller Park. Scouting director Ray Montgomery said Ray would be assigned to Class A Brevard County early next month.