Right-hander Brandon Woodruff allowed just one run in six innings and was backed by three homers as the host Milwaukee Brewers beat the slumping Washington Nationals 7-3 on Wednesday afternoon, completing a three-game sweep.
Washington has lost four straight and 14 of its last 19 games, while the Brewers have won nine of the last 12.
Woodruff (5-1) fanned nine batters with no walks while throwing 103 pitches.
The Brewers scored four runs in the first inning off starter Jeremy Hellickson (2-1), who lost in Milwaukee for the first time in eight years.
Christian Yelich had three hits and smashed his 16th homer in the first, a solo shot. Eric Thames had an RBI double that may have hit the roof and Orlando Arcia drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single.
Mike Moustakas hit a two-run shot to make it 6-0 in the second and Manny Pina went deep in the fifth for a 7-0 lead.
The Nationals got on the board in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Victor Robles.
Washington scored twice more in the seventh on Wilmer Difo’s RBI single and Howie Kendrick’s sacrifice fly.
Josh Hader came on with two runners aboard in the ninth and got the last two outs for his 10th save, striking out Adam Eaton for the final out with the bases loaded.
Hellickson, who got little defensive support in the first inning, gave up six runs (three earned) in four innings.
It was the fourth loss in a row for the Nationals, who got three hits from Brian Dozier.
A few hours before the first pitch Nationals general manager and president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo told 106.7 The Fan, the team’s flagship station, that manager Dave Martinez was partly to blame for the slow start. “Certainly. There is blame on everybody,” Rizzo said.
According to reports during the game, the Nationals are looking to sign veteran outfielder Gerardo Parra and he is slated to meet the team in Los Angeles for a series with the Dodgers that starts Thursday.
The Nationals are 1-5 on the current three-city trip. Washington plays four games in Los Angeles and is off Monday before beginning a series at home Tuesday with the New York Mets.
