Nationals fall 7-2 to Brewers, lose season series

MILWAUKEE - The prospect of a game against a starter restricted to three innings and then a parade of relievers should have been enticing for the Nationals. Instead it led to even more frustration for a lineup that seems to have lost its way.

Left-hander Brent Suter and four Brewers relievers combined to toss a three-hitter and hand the Nationals a 7-2 loss at Miller Park to cap a rough weekend for Washington.

The Nationals lost three of four in this series and thus lost the season series to Milwaukee, four games to three. It's the first season series they've lost to any National League playoff contender in 2017.

The culprit, as has most often been the case in recent weeks, was a lineup that has morphed from one of the majors' best to one of the sport's weakest offensive units. The Nationals were held to eight total runs in this four-game series and were one out away from suffering their second shutout before Ryan Zimmerman's two-run homer in the top of the ninth.

Once-consistent producers like Zimmerman, Daniel Murphy and Anthony Rendon have gone ice cold. And the fourth member of the club's fearsome middle of the order, Bryce Harper, has been out since injuring his left knee and calf Aug. 12, having yet to do much beyond receiving treatment.

Matt Wieters also was out of the lineup for the third straight day with a tight back, leaving backup Jose Lobaton (among the least-productive offensive players in baseball this season to get regular playing time) to start behind the plate.

The end result was another sluggish hitting display against a Brewers club trying to claw its way back into either the National League Central or wild card race in the season's final month.

Suter was restricted to only three innings and 43 pitches in his first start back from the disabled list, but that proved no problem for Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell, who watched relievers Jeremy Jeffress and Tyler Barnes combine to face the minimum over four innings.

Edwin Jackson, meanwhile, struggled against the Brewers lineup for the second time this season. After getting tagged for seven runs (three earned) in five innings on July 25 at Nationals Park, the right-hander gave up five more runs in 5 2/3 innings this afternoon.

Jackson only allowed five hits, but each of them went for extra bases, including a pair of homers by Domingo Santana.
Enny Romero returned for his first appearance since Aug. 2 and pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. Raudy Read made his major league debut late, grounding out as a pinch-hitter and then catching the bottom of the eighth.