Letting a tight one slip away
NATIONALS 3, BREWERS 2
In Josh Hader’s switch from standout starting pitcher in the minors to reliever in the majors, there has been a learning curve for both Hader and manager Craig Counsell.
After initially being careful with Hader’s usage, in both frequency and situation, Counsell became more aggressive of late. Much of that had to do with Hader’s dominance, including striking out the side in the eighth inning Friday night in a tense 1-0 victory.
Pitching for only the second time on consecutive nights, Hader’s stuff was not as good Saturday night, either in velocity or location. The Washington Nationals made him pay for it, scoring two runs in the eighth to come back for a 3-2 triumph at Miller Park.
The Brewers fell 4 1⁄2 games behind the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central and two behind Colorado for the second wild-card berth, pending the Rockies’ late game against Arizona.
Hader, who entered with a 1.39 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 32 1⁄3 innings, saw his first pitch, a 93mph fastball, crushed to left by Michael Taylor for a home run. It was only the second homer off Hader in his 25 outings.
Trea Turner delivered the decisive blow with an RBI double, ripping into a 92-mph fastball. Hader entered the game averaging 94.2 mph on his fastball this season, according to FanGraphs.
The late rally allowed the Nationals to survive a brilliant outing by Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff, making only his fourth start in the majors.
The Brewers caught a break when Washington ace Max Scherzer, who retired the first nine batters, departed after five innings with a leg issue.
Neither pitcher allowed a hit through the first three innings, and the duel was on. The Nationals broke through against Woodruff in the fourth after Howie Kendrick led off with a walk and stole second base.
Daniel Murphy followed with a single to center that moved Kendrick to third, and when Murphy spotted second base unoccupied and the Brewers taking their time getting the ball in, he tried to take another base. Shortstop Eric Sogard beat him to the bag, however, and Murphy tried hurdling over him without success.
With the Brewers playing their infield in, Ryan Zimmerman worked the count to 3-2 and banged a flat slider through the left side for a run-scoring single.
The Brewers also broke through for a run in the fourth after Scherzer retired the first nine batters. Sogard led off with a single to center and raced around to score when Eric Thames yanked a double into the right-field corner.
Scherzer, bothered by left leg soreness after taking a comebacker from Travis Shaw off his calf in the first, stopped the damage there despite Neil Walker drawing a one-out walk. Scherzer limped noticeably and didn’t try to run out a grounder to short in the fifth but pitched the bottom of the inning before departing.
Veteran lefty Oliver Perez came on to pitch the Brewers’ sixth and had two outs and none on when he walked Walker. Stephen Vogt chopped a ball over Zimmerman at first and Murphy ranged over from second and deflected it into foul territory. When rightfielder Jayson Werth misplayed the carom off the side wall, Walker came all the way around from first on what was scored a double and E-9. BEHIND THE BOX SCORE
In past years, the Brewers often had to scramble to put more than one or two left-handed hitters in their lineup. With Woodruff batting from the left side, Counsell had eight left-handed hitters in the lineup against Scherzer.
Two hitters — Jonathan Villar and Walker — are switch-hitters. Only Hernán Pérez, starting for Ryan Braun in left field, batted from the right side.
Aware that right-handed batters were hitting .126 against Scherzer, compared to .219 for lefties, Counsell said, “I think this is the perfect pitcher to do it against.”
Counsell said he wanted to give Braun one game off in the series and this one made the most sense. Not only was Braun struggling in general (6 for 44) but he was 0 for 13 against Scherzer with five strikeouts. STAT SHEET
Left-hander Nick Ramirez, one of the best stories in the farm system, was promoted from Class AA Biloxi to Class AAA Colorado Springs to help in the postseason. A converted first baseman, Ramirez was 7-4 with a 1.37 ERA in 48 appearances, with a 1.01 WHIP and .199 opponents batting average. TAKEAWAY
This was a tough one to let get away. When you get an ace such as Scherzer out of the game early with an injury and then take the lead, you want to see it through for a victory. Hader has been lights out for the most part but has been used carefully. RECORD
This year: 71-65 (38-32 home; 33-33 away)
Last year: 60-76 ATTENDANCE Saturday: 35,341 2017 total: 2,179,833 (31,141 avg.)
Last year: 2,004,240 (28,632 avg.) NEXT GAME
Sunday: Brewers vs. Nationals, 1:10 p.m. Milwaukee LHP Brent Suter (2-2, 3.79) vs. Washington RHP Edwin Jackson (5-3, 2.94). TV: FS Wisconsin. Radio: AM-620.