The debut of their new City Connect uniforms turned out the high point of the Milwaukee Brewers’ return to American Family Field on Friday night, April 10.
Closer Trevor Megill was unable to maintain a tie, instead melting down in an ugly ninth inning that ultimately paved the way to a 7-3 loss to the Washington Nationals.
BOX SCORE: Nationals 7, Brewers 3
Megill failed to retire any of the five batters he faced and four ultimately came in to score as Milwaukee saw its losing streak stretch to three games against the first National League opponent the team has faced so far this season.
Jake Bauers slugged a three-run home run in the first inning, and the Brewers managed only three singles the rest of the way.
Things spiral quickly against Trevor Megill
Megill (0-2), who hadn’t pitched since saving Sunday’s game in Kansas City, clipped CJ Abrams in the left elbow with a pitch to start the ninth, and ex-Brewer Joey Wiemer followed with a bunt single to the left of the mound.
Luis García Jr. then singled to center to score Abrams. Jorbit Vivas bunted once again, this time a clear sacrifice. Megill got off the mound quickly to field it but made an off-balance, off-target throw home as another run scored.
Drew Millas became the third Nationals player to bunt in the inning as he too then dropped one down against Megill, who this time tried futilely underhanding the ball to William Contreras with the run scoring to make it 6-3.
That would be all for Megill, and Easton McGee entered and allowed a run-scoring double to James Wood to cap the scoring.
A costly free pass
Angel Zerpa began the seventh by walking Wiemer, a miscue that came back to bite the left-hander not long thereafter.
García, up next, grounded into what off the bat appeared to be a tailor-made 3-6-3 double play, but Bauers was forced to make a soft throw to David Hamilton so as to not plunk Wiemer, whose route to second base was toward the infield grass.
After Vivas flew out, Jacob Young came off the bench and doubled to right, scoring García from first. Young was thrown out at third to end the inning and keep it a 3-3 game.
A key sequence in the sixth
Things began spiraling for Patrick in the sixth when Wood and Daylen Lile singled in a three-batter stretch and then Brady House drew a walk to load the bases with only one out.
Manager Pat Murphy made the call for Zerpa to face the left-handed-hitting Abrams, who on consecutive pitches to begin the at-bat saw called balls changed to strikes thanks to successful challenges by William Contreras.
Two pitches later Abrams sent a sharp grounder to Brice Turang, who began a 4-6-3 double play to retire the speedy Abrams and help Zerpa escape the jam with the 3-2 lead still intact.
In three innings and 50 pitches, Chad Patrick allowed three hits, walked one and didn’t register a strikeout.
Aaron Ashby recovers nicely
Following the two first-inning runs he allowed, opener Aaron Ashby pitched into the third inning and capped his night with a four-pitch strikeout of Wood.
He departed after 44 total pitches, marking the second time he’s thrown at least 40 over his team-leading eight appearances and the most Ashby has thrown since last Aug. 19 when he threw 50 over 3 ⅔ innings.
Ashby allowed three hits, didn’t walk a batter and struck out four.
Offense answers right back
Turang drew a leadoff walk from Irvin, then after Contreras and Christian Yelich were called out on strikes Garrett Mitchell took another free pass.
Bauers followed up with a 428-foot homer into the second deck in right in a full count to give the Brewers the lead right back.
It was the third of the season for Bauers, tying him with Gary Sánchez for the team lead.
The opener gambit doesn’t work
With a wealth of potent left-handed bats atop Washington’s lineup, Milwaukee’s decision to go with Ashby over Patrick to begin the game made sense on paper.
But a leadoff double by Wood and single by Curtis Mead put the Nationals in front just two batters in. Mead then went to second on the throw in from Mitchell, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a two-out double by Abrams.
What time is the Brewers game tonight?
Time: 6:40 p.m.
What channel is the Brewers game on tonight?
TV Channel: Brewers.TV.
Brewers 2026 record
8-5.
Brewers lineup
Nationals lineup
Brewers schedule
Brewers vs. Nationals, April 11, 6:10 p.m.: Milwaukee LHP Kyle Harrison (1-0, 2.61) vs. Washington LHP Foster Griffin (1-0, 2.70) TV – Brewers.TV. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
Brewers vs. Nationals, April 12, 1:10 p.m.: Milwaukee RHP Brandon Woodruff (1-0, 5.91) vs. Washington RHP Zack Littell (0-1, 3.60) TV – Brewers.TV. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Nationals 7, Brewers 3: Nightmare ninth inning costs Milwaukee
Reporting by Todd Rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
