Milwaukee’s offense dominates again in 8-2 win over Nationals

Box Score

Milwaukee’s potent offense came through again with an 8-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Saturday afternoon, as they extended their lead in the NL Central to two games with the Cubs’ 4-3 loss.

The Brewers were quick to establish an early lead, scoring in each of the first three innings, en route to a 15-hit game. Five different batters tallied multiple hits, including Brice Turang and Christian Yelich with three apiece.

Facing off against Nationals starter Jake Irvin, the Brewers punished seemingly every mistake. In the first inning, Sal Frelick led off with a double before William Contreras working a full-count walk. It was that type of patient, pesky approach that forced Irvin into difficult situations throughout his entire start. Yelich came through for the first RBI, a single through the right side of the infield, on a curveball that Irvin left floating over the middle of the zone. Isaac Collins and Blake Perkins followed with consecutive hits to bring the score to 3-0 before ending the first inning.

The Brewers added to the scoreboard in the second inning with another leadoff batter reaching, a constant trend throughout the game. Joey Ortiz led off with a double and Frelick’s single pushed him to third base. Contreras hit into a double play, but Ortiz was able to score to add to the lead.

Christian Yelich — another highlight moment in the leadoff spot — started the third inning with a home run, a 390-foot effort on a first-pitch changeup that had no bite.

With a 5-0 scoreline in their favor, it was up to Brandon Woodruff to stifle Washington’s lineup, and he did just that. It was an exceptional outing from Woodruff apart from a bumpy third inning, but his outing finished with a scoreline of six innings pitched, two earned runs, but only one hit and one walk allowed. He struck out eight batters in this highlight performance, dominating the Nationals with both control and stuff.

In the bottom of the third inning, Woodruff surrendered the only two runs of the game to the Nationals when he momentarily lost command of his arsenal. After walking Riley Adams, he surrendered a home run to Robert Hassell III on the eighth pitch of the at-bat. Aside from that one speed bump, Woodruff excelled once again, building on an already impressive resume this season.

While it calmed down for much of the middle portion of the game, the Brewers came through late to add a few insurance runs. They only got one runner in scoring position in the fourth through seventh innings, but assembled another rally against reliever Shinnosuke Ogasawara in the eighth. After three scoreless innings, Ogasawara gave up three hits to start the frame, and the Nationals pulled him before he retired an out.

Courtesy of doubles from Perkins and Turang, and a bunt single from Anthony Seigler, Nationals reliever Orlando Ribalta was tasked with a nearly impossible situation. Brandon Lockridge came through with a sacrifice fly to push the lead to a 7-2 margin. Lockridge had entered the game earlier as a pinch-hitter for Frelick, who was removed for precautionary measures with a sore knee.

POSTGAME UPDATE ON FRELICK: Per Curt Hogg, Frelick’s injury is the same knee issue he had earlier this year (on his surgically repaired knee), and he should be considered day to day.

The Milwaukee offense added another run in the ninth, just to be safe, with Yelich’s third hit of the game and Collins’ RBI double. With an 8-2 lead, the game was firmly in hand. Collins has been exceptional for a substantial amount of time now, slashing .310/.400/.410 in his last 30 games.

After Woodruff’s solid start, the bullpen came through with three scoreless innings. Jared Koenig, Abner Uribe, and Nick Mears combined to allow one basehit and one walk. It’s not the flashiest stat of the night, but it’s further evidence of how significantly the Brewers outplayed their opponents.

If any stat displays the dominance in this one, it’s Milwaukee’s 15-hit total compared to Washington’s two hits. The Brewers will go into tomorrow’s game with a chance to sweep the series.

For tomorrow’s series finale, Jacob Misiorowski is scheduled to take the mound. The game will be broadcast live on both FanDuel Sports Wisconsin and the Brewers Radio Network. First pitch is set for 12:35 p.m.