MILWAUKEE — Zach Davies won his 16th game to tie Arizona’s Zack Greinke for the most victories in the majors, Jonathan Villar homered and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Washington Nationals 6-3 on Thursday night.
Davies (16-7) scattered six hits, walked two, struck out four and lowered his ERA to 1.77 over the last nine starts, five of them victories for himself and the team.
Greinke (16-6) beat the Dodgers 8-1 on Thursday afternoon. Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers) and Chris Sale (Red Sox) are one game behind Davies and Greinke.
Villar hit a two-run homer off Gio Gonzalez (13-6) in the fifth. It was his 11th of the season, second two-run in as many days and came after Davies walked.
Trea Turner greeted Anthony Swarzak with a triple to start the eighth and scored on Jayson Werth’s groundout.
Corey Knebel pitched the ninth for his 31st save.
The Brewers snapped Gonzalez’s five-game winning streak with their 11th victory in the last 16 games. Gonzalez allowed five runs and eight hits in six innings with three walks and seven strikeouts. He grimaced after Juan Aguilar took a called third strike. After a brief delay, Gonzalez finished the inning.
Stephen Vogt went 3 for 4 and drove in a run in the eighth with his third single of the game.
Aguilar drove in two in the third with a two-out, bases-loaded single to left. Domingo Santana was caught off second on the relay throw from the outfield. The Brewers challenged, but a 3:01 review confirmed the call and ended the threat.
The Nationals went ahead 2-1 in the third. Michael Taylor singled, advanced on a sacrifice by Gonzalez and scored on Turner’s double. After stealing third, Turner came home on Werth’s groundout.
Hernan Perez doubled, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Braun in the first.
Turner went 3 for 4 with a double, single and triple and two runs scored.
Nationals outfielder Howie Kendrick got a scheduled game off. Outfielder Brian Goodwin (left groin strain) has made progress, but the team is not rushing his return. It’s his first time with that injury. Righty Ryan Madson (right finger sprain) and lefty Enny Romero (left forearm strain) could rejoin the team Friday. Madson has missed 16 games and Romero 26.
Brewers catcher Manny Pina missed his second consecutive game with a right hip injury suffered during Tuesday’s game. Third baseman Travis Shaw got a scheduled game off.
Nationals righty Tanner Roark (11-8, 4.63 ERA) looks for his third straight win on Friday as he faces the Brewers for the first time this season. He has a 2.16 ERA since the All-Star break. Brewers righty Jimmy Nelson (10-6, 3.75 ERA) makes his 28th start of the season and second against the Nationals. He is 1-1 with a 4.43 ERA in his previous four career starts against them.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.