Luis Garcia Jr. homered for the second consecutive day, rookie James Wood hit a bases-loaded triple, and the Washington Nationals defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 on Sunday.
Mitchell Parker threw six shutout innings for his first victory since June 16 for Washington, which has won back-to-back games since a five-game skid that matched a season-high.
Gary Sanchez homered for the NL Central-leading Brewers, who dropped the final two of a three-game series and have lost four of five overall. Milwaukee went 2-4 against Washington this year, the first time the Brewers lost a season series to the Nationals since 2015.
“They play us tough,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “They did the same thing to us in Milwaukee. They played really good and they played free. We’re young and vulnerable and going through it a little bit. You can make all the excuses you want with injuries and inexperience, but every team goes through it and we’re going through it.”
Garcia put Washington up in the first when he ripped Tobias Myers’ 3-1 fastball to center for his 13th home run of the season. The second baseman, who homered in Saturday’s 6-4 victory, had his seventh multi-hit game in his last 10 outings and is hitting .398 (33 for 83) with six homers and 17 RBIs since July 3.
“I think he’s just seeing a beach ball right now,” Myers said. “He’s hitting the ball pretty well. He’s a good hitter, but he’s really seeing the ball well.”
It was all the Nationals managed against Myers (6-5), who allowed four hits and struck out two in five innings. But Washington immediately pounced when left-hander Hoby Milner entered to start the sixth, loading the bases with three singles.
Wood then laced an opposite-field fly down the left-field line. It got past a diving Jackson Chourio and clattered around the corner, allowing all three runners to come around on the triple to make it 4-0.
Over his last nine games, Wood is hitting .364 (12 for 33).
“That was a big moment and he came through,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “That kid is going to be OK. I love the way he’s approaching the baseball right now.”
Milwaukee scored three runs in the eighth off Robert Garcia, including Sánchez’s two-run shot to left-center.
Parker (6-6) allowed three hits and three walks, struck out three and permitted only one baserunner past second base. The rookie was winless in his previous seven starts, including a July 13 outing at Milwaukee when he yielded five runs in two-thirds of an inning.
All-Star Kyle Finnegan handled the ninth for his second save in as many days and 30th in 34 opportunities. He is the first National to save 30 games in a season since Rafael Soriano had 32 in 2014.
“You have to have opportunities to get saves, and we’ve done a good job of winning close games,” Finnegan said. “When you do that, there’s going to be lots of opportunities. I feel good about going out there and being able to get the job done. I know 30 sounds good, but it’s just a testament to this entire team.”
Nationals left-hander Patrick Corbin (2-11, 5.88) starts the opener of a four-game series Monday against San Francisco as Washington’s homestand continues.
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