Washington @ Milwaukee preview
Miller Park
Last Meeting ( Aug 3, 2013 ) Washington 3, Milwaukee 0
The Washington Nationals attempt to complete a sweep when they visit the Milwaukee Brewers for the finale of their three-game series Sunday. Washington has rebounded nicely from a disastrous two-game set in Detroit in which it was outscored 16-2 by the Tigers. The Nationals' pitching staff allowed one run and nine hits in the first two contests against Milwaukee, with starters Jordan Zimmermann and Dan Haren combining for 13 scoreless innings.
Wilson Ramos and Adam LaRoche hit solo home runs and Haren combined with two relievers on a four-hitter as Washington posted a 3-0 victory Saturday. The win was the fifth in seven contests for the Nationals, who remained 6 1/2 games behind the Cincinnati Reds for the second National League wild-card berth. The Brewers, who have scored a total of two runs while losing three in a row, have dropped five of their last six home games.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, MASN 2 (Washington), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Taylor Jordan (1-3, 3.31 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Kyle Lohse (7-7, 3.22)
Jordan will be making the seventh start of his major-league career. The 24-year-old rookie is coming off his first career victory, a triumph over the New York Mets last Sunday in which he allowed one run and five hits while striking out a personal-best seven in six innings. Jordan settled for a no-decision at home against Milwaukee on July 4 after yielding two runs over 5 2/3 frames.
Lohse has won six of his last seven decisions after losing six of his first seven. The 34-year-old, who has yielded more than three runs only once in his last 12 outings, scattered five hits over six scoreless innings at Chicago on Monday but came away with a no-decision against the Cubs. Lohse improved to 5-2 lifetime versus the Nationals on July 3 as he allowed just one run and four hits in eight frames at Washington.
WALK-OFFS
1. LaRoche had gone 1-for-26 over his previous seven games.
2. Milwaukee's lone run in the series came on an eighth-inning homer by C Jonathan Lucroy in Friday's opener.
3. Jordan, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2011, is likely to be shut down for the season after making two or three more starts.
PREDICTION: Brewers 5, Nationals 4