Field Level Media
May 7, 2019
Lorenzo Cain had a three-run double off Stephen Strasburg in the last of the seventh to snap a scoreless tie, and the host Milwaukee Brewers beat the struggling Washington Nationals 6-0 on Tuesday.
The Brewers, who scored all six of their runs in the seventh, have won nine of their last 12 games, while the Nationals have dropped 13 of 18. It was the first career hit for Cain against Strasburg in nine at-bats.
Milwaukee pitcher Freddy Peralta (2-1), who came on in the third, threw five scoreless innings while allowing three hits and two walks with five strikeouts.
Strasburg (3-2) was taken out with two outs in the seventh, and lefty Dan Jennings gave up an RBI hit by Mike Moustakas to make it 4-0. Ben Gamel walked with the bases loaded off Jennings for a 5-0 lead, and Jesus Aguilar had a run-scoring single off Justin Miller to make it 6-0.
Strasburg, with a strong curve and change, fanned eight batters in the first four innings. But he was tagged for four runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings with 11 strikeouts and two walks.
Victor Robles had two of the five hits for Washington.
The Brewers went with "opener" Adrian Houser to start the game on the mound. That was because starter Peralta had a 12.81 ERA in the first inning of starts.
Houser went two innings and gave up no runs on two hits with one walk and four strikeouts.
With runners on first and second and one out in the top of the seventh, Peralta got Robles to pop out, and then Anthony Rendon struck out looking to keep the game scoreless. Rendon, just off the injured list, argued the call, and home plate umpire C.B. Bucknor threw him out of the game.
Things fell apart for the Nationals after that.
The Nationals put reliever Tony Sipp on the 10-day injured list with an oblique injury and sent rookie shortstop Carter Kieboom back to Triple-A Fresno. Washington also called up pitcher Erick Fedde from Double-A Harrisburg of the Eastern League to take Sipp's roster spot.
Kieboom was five-for-39 with 16 strikeouts and two homers in his first stint in the majors.
--Field Level Media