Finally getting things right
Adames’ big day helps snap eight-game skid
WASHINGTON - The nightmare is finally over.
Sparked by a big day at the plate for Willy Adames and an all-hands-ondeck pitching performance, the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Washington Nationals, 4-1, at Nationals Park on Sunday afternoon.
Adames doubled and homered to drive in three runs while Jason Alexander, Hoby Milner, Brad Boxberger, Devin Williams and Josh Hader combined to shut down a Nationals offense that had exploded for eight runs in each of the previous two games.
The Brewers snapped their eightgame losing streak as a result, winning for the first time since June 2.
Craig Counsell tied Phil Garner as the franchise’s all-time winningest manager as well, recording his 563rd victory since debuting on May 4, 2015.
Alexander was an escape artist in the early going, holding the Nationals off the scoreboard despite allowing a pair of baserunners in the first inning with one out, a one-out double in the second and then stranding the bases loaded in the third.
The fourth was the first frame he faced the minimum, and that came thanks to Omar Narváez cutting down a would-be basestealer at second base following a single.
Alexander didn’t have much breathing room, either, as the offense managed a lone run against Washington starter Paolo Espino – a former Brewer – on a pair of third-inning doubles by Tyrone Taylor and Adames.
Left-hander Evan Lee replaced Espino after 32⁄3 innings and Milwaukee got to him for a couple more runs in the fourth thanks to a two-out single by Christian Yelich, foillowed by an Adames bolt to left-center.
The homer was his team-leading 11th, one off the lead for shortstops currently held by Corey Seager of the Texas Rangers.
And the lead was Milwaukee’s first of more than one run in the month of
June.
Alexander’s luck ran out in the bottom of the fifth when a one-out single followed by consecutive walks to Juan Soto and Nelson Cruz again loaded the bases.
This time, Josh Bell’s sacrifice fly to deep left plated a run and brought Hoby Milner in to face pinch-hitter Maikel Franco.
He was able to continue his terrific run of success, however, striking out Franco to strand his 10th inherited runner, keep Milwaukee in the lead and close the book on Alexander (42⁄3 innings, seven hits, one run, three walks and two strikeouts over 83 pitches).
He also earned his first major-league victory.
Through three starts, Alexander’s 2.22 earned run average is third-lowest in club history (minimum 15 innings) behind only Bill Parsons (1.42 in 1971) and Brandon Woodruff – the injured starter Alexander is replacing – (1.62).
There was also another spot of injury news for the Brewers entering the fifth, as Luis Urías was removed for precautionary reasons with right hamstring tightness.
Milner followed with a scoreless sixth, then the back-end combination of Boxberger, Williams and Hader (19th save) closed the game down, with Andrew McCutchen’s solo homer to lead off the ninth providing a little more leeway.
Milwaukee has an off-day Monday before opening a three-game series at the New York Mets Tuesday night at Citi Field.