This is uncharted territory for the Milwaukee Brewers in the Pat Murphy era.
Choosing to lift starter Brandon Woodruff 70 pitches into an otherwise solid start, the Brewers’ manager proceeded to watch his bullpen surrender the lead twice over the ensuing two innings and six runs in all in what turned out to be a deflating 8-6, sweep-clinching loss to the Washington Nationals at American Family Field on Sunday, April 12.
Milwaukee has now lost five straight games for the first time since June 8-14, 2023 – during Craig Counsell’s final year at the helm – and failed to win at least a game in a series since dropping all three of its games at Texas last Sept. 8-10.
BOX SCORE: Nationals 8, Brewers 6
Four home runs carried the Brewers’ offense on the day – two solo blasts by Brice Turang and another by Jake Bauers were followed by a three-run shot off the bat of Gary Sánchez that tied the game at 6-6 in the seventh.
But Angel Zerpa and Aaron Ashby combined to give the lead right back in the eighth to put a fitting cap on what began as a big weekend for the franchise with its introduction of its new City Connect uniforms.
The Nationals sweep of the Brewers was the first since April 15-17, 2011 at Washington and the first in Milwaukee since June 2-4, 2006.
There was another bit of potential bad news coming out of the game in the form of Christian Yelich being lifted in the fifth inning with what the team described as left hamstring tightness.
More trouble for the bullpen
With the momentum seemingly on Milwaukee’s side, Washington grabbed it right back as Zerpa (0-1) allowed consecutive singles to open the eighth.
After a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, Ashby entered and Keibert Ruiz came off the bench to greet him with a two-run single to center that made it an 8-6 Nationals lead.
That’s six runs and counting against the Brewers bullpen on the day, with four going on Zerpa’s ledger.
Quite the answer by the offense
Washington left-hander Ken Waldichuk retired the first two batters in the seventh before leaving with an injury.
His replacement, right-hander Cole Henry, entered and walked both Turang and William Contreras to bring Sánchez to the plate.
He got ahead in the count, 2-0, then electified the crowd with a 400-foot homer to left to tie the game at 6-6 and Bauers for the team lead in round-trippers this season with four.
The Nationals won’t quit
Abner Uribe took the ball from Woodruff to start the seventh and immediately found trouble as Jacob Young laced a double to right-center.
Compounding the problem, Garrett Mitchell misplayed the ball, allowing the speedy Young to reach third. It was Mitchell’s second mental gaffe in less than a full inning; he was picked off first base to begin the Brewers’ sixth.
Two batters later, pinch-hitter José Tena rapped a single to center against the drawn-in infield, tying the game at 3-3.
A flyout got the Brewers to within an out of maintaining the tie, but Zerpa entered and walked James Wood and then allowed a Curtis Mead pinch-hit single that made it 4-3.
With runners on the corners, Washington then attempted a double steal with Wood initially being called out at home by umpire Carlos Torres before the Nationals successfully challenged.
A Brady House single then drove in Mead to leave the deficit at 6-3 for Milwaukee.
Brice Turang does it again
With one out in the fifth, Turang slugged his second homer of the game – this one a 433-footer out to right-center that put Milwaukee back in front, 3-2.
It was Turang’s second multi-homer game of his career. Both have come against the Nationals, with the first coming last Aug. 3 at Washington.
Two batters later Sánchez entered as a pinch-hitter for Yelich, who exited with left hamstring tightness after grounding out in each of his first two at-bats.
Woodruff, meanwhile, completed six innings for the first time this season. He allowed three hits, two runs (one earned) and a walk with six strikeouts over 70 pitches.
Back and forth in the fourth
Turang’s two-out, solo homer to left broke a scoreless tie in the third after Woodruff had retired all nine hitters his first time through the Washington order.
The advantage didn’t last long as the red-hot Wood slugged a leadoff homer to right in the fourth. Bauers then muffed a sharp chopper at him for an error and after a Daylen Lile double, a CJ Abrams sacrifice fly drove in the run for a 2-1 Nationals lead.
Bauers then atoned for his misplay by going deep to right with one out for his team-leading fourth homer of the season, leaving it a 2-2 game.
What time is the Brewers game today?
Time: 1:10 p.m.
What channel is the Brewers game on today?
TV Channel: Brewers.TV.
Brewers 2026 record
8-7.
Brewers lineup
Nationals lineup
Brewers schedule
Off day, April 13.
Brewers vs. Blue Jays, April 14, 6:40 p.m.: Milwaukee RHP Jacob Misiorowski (1-1, 3.31) vs. Toronto RHP Kevin Gausman (0-1, 2.08). TV – Brewers.TV. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
Brewers vs. Blue Jays, April 15, 6:40 p.m.: Milwaukee TBA vs. Toronto RHP Dylan Cease (0-0, 2.45). TV – Brewers.TV. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
Brewers vs. Blue Jays, April 16, 12:40 p.m.: Milwaukee TBA vs. Toronto LHP Patrick Corbin (0-0, 9.00). TV – Brewers.TV. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Nationals 8, Brewers 6: Losing streak reaches five games
Reporting by Todd Rosiak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
