Article: Despite series loss, Brewers snap eight game skid.

[DuWayne Steurer]

The Brewers play a three game weekend set in Washington, looking to snap a season high six game skid. With the Cardinals hot on their heels entering the weekend set, the Brewers need a win to hang on to first place in the NL Central. 

Game 1 -- Nationals 11, Brewers 5

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WAS/WAS202206100.shtml

Aaron Ashby gave up thirteen hits and a walk in 4 2/3 innings in his start tonight, allowing six runs and only managing two strikeouts. The Brewers briefly gave Ashby a 2-1 lead on a mammoth two run home run from Jace Peterson in the second inning, as he launched one almost 430 feet to right center field with Andrew McCutchen aboard. 

Peterson notched another RBI in the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly, again knocking McCutchen in. However, the wheels started to fall off for Ashby in the bottom of the frame. A solo home run by Maikel Franco, followed by a series of soft contact singles to score another run put the Nationals up 5-3 going into the fifth. In the fifth, Ashby gave up three more hits, including a triple, and was relieved by the previously reliable Miguel Sanchez. Coming into the game tonight, Sanchez had been sporting a 1.17 ERA on the season in ten appearances. Tonight Sanchez gave up four earned runs in just an inning and a third, giving up home runs to Josh Bell and Keibert Ruiz. 

The Brewers scored twice in the eights on a sacrifice fly by Rowdy Tellez and an RBI base hit by McCutchen but didn't seriously threaten after getting down 10-3. Ashby's loss drops him to 1-5 on the season.

Game 2 -- Nationals 8, Brewers 6

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WAS/WAS202206110.shtml

The Brewers offense put runs on the board for the second night in a row, but again, just like the night before, the starting pitching was less than stellar. Tonight, Eric Lauer was knocked around for eight runs on seven hits, while also giving up three long balls to the Nationals. The Brewers got into a big hole early, and while they had a few rallies late, ultimately couldn't climb all the way back. 

Christian Yelich lead off the game for the Crew with a solo home run, and has been producing solid at bats since being inserted into the leadoff spot. 

plit ▲	G	GS	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB	ROE	BAbip	tOPS+	sOPS+
Batting 1st	4	4	19	18	3	8	0	0	1	1	2	0	1	4	.444	.474	.611	1.085	11	0	0	0	0	0	0	.539	204	206

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.fcgi?id=yelicch01&year=2022&t=b

Obviously, we're looking at an extremely small sample, but the Brewers and Craig Counsell have to be happy with the production they're getting from Yelich if they continue to leave him in the leadoff spot in the order.

After Lauer allowed eight unanswered runs, the Brewers started battling back. Lorenzo Cain socked an RBI double, followed by a two run home run by recent call up Mark Mathias brought the Brewers back to within four. With two outs, the Brewers then loaded the bases, bringing the tying run to the plate in Rowdy Tellez who lined out to first base on a rocket liner to end the threat. 

In the ninth inning, the Brewers again threatened, with Luis Urias knocking a two run home run, bringing the Crew to within a pair, but the rally ended there, as Tellez struck out to end the game. Lauer dropped to 5-2 on the season. The optimistic thought is that the Brewers had scored 11 runs over the previous two games and perhaps they were starting to break out of their offensive doldrums, but at the long end of an eight game losing streak, moral victories don't mean a whole lot. Heading into the series finale, the Brewers have now dropped into second place, a game and a half behind the rival Cardinals.

Game 3 -- Brewers 4, Nationals 1

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401355137

Jason Alexander gets the ball for the third time, and once again was working with men on base quite often. Alexander allowed seven hits and walked three in just 4 2/3 innings, but allowed just one run before skipper Craig Counsell pulled the plug on his afternoon. From there, Hoby Milner and the rest of the bullpen shut down the Nationals offense.

Willy Adames has been struggling since coming off the DL. His batting average had dipped below .200 and his OPS had dipped close to the .700 mark. With the game in the third inning, Adames came up with two outs and a man on third, and Willy delivered a clutch knock.

 

Sliding ahead to the fifth inning, Adames delivering the decisive blow in the game.

 

And just like that, Willy Adames was good again. Andrew McCutchen added a home run in the ninth to finish the scoring for the Crew.

Hoby Milner pitched 1 1/3 scoreless through the sixth inning, and Brad Boxberger, Devin Williams, and Josh Hader carved up the Nationals through the final three innings to finish things off. Hader bounced back from his blown save against Philadelphia earlier in the week to strike out the side in order today and record his 19th save. Hoby Milner gets the win, and improved his record to 3-1. Milner has been a nice piece in the middle of the pen through the first third-plus of the season. Milner leads the Brewers in relief appearances and has lowered his ERA on the season now to 2.45. 

Of course the biggest story of the day for the Brewers is the snapping of the eight game losing streak. With the win and the Cardinals loss the Brewers step back to just a half game behind the Cardinals. With a day off tomorrow, and a tough series starting Tuesday against the Mets in New York, the Brewers can hopefully build on the positive momentum here and get back to consistent ball and get back to the top of the standings in the NL Central. 

 

 

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