Brewers Manager Craig Counsell – Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
The Milwaukee Brewers wrapped up their 10-game road trip with a 2-8 record, ending with a 15-2 loss to the Washington Nationals. It was a game the Brewers will quickly try to forget as they return home to open a weekend series against the division leading Cubs.
Washington clubbed eight home runs in the win, two shy of the Major League record and one shy of the National League record. The Brewers have now fallen 1 1/2 games behind the Cubs, who beat the White Sox 6-3 on Thursday night.
Michael Blazek made his first major league start after Matt Garza went on the disabled list with a calf strain. Blazek surrendered six home runs, including five in the third inning. Wily Peralta took over and coughed up two more.
Blazek is the first pitcher in Major League history to surrender five home runs in an inning and the first starter to surrender six in less than three innings.
Max Scherzer went six innings, allowing just three hits and a run and improving to 12-5. The run allowed came in the fourth inning when Travis Shaw homered. Lewis Brinson also clubbed his second career big league homer for the Brewers.
Things got so bad for the Brewers that they called on position player Hernan Perez to pitch the eighth inning and he did so without allowing a run.
Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman both homered twice in the Washington win.
The Brewers lead in the division was as high as 5 1/2 games. Now they’re down a game and a half with the division rival Cubs opening a series at Miller Park tonight.
Brent Suter (1-1, 2.84) goes for the Brewers. Jose Quintana (2-0, 2.08) pitches for the Cubs with the first pitch set for 7:10.
AUDIO: Craig Counsell on Michael Blazek’s outing :21