MILWAUKEE — Jorbit Vivas and Drew Millas drove in runs with two of Washington’s three successful bunts in a four-run ninth inning that lifted the Nationals over the Milwaukee Brewers 7-3 on Friday night.
Washington reached base three times on bunts in the inning after attempting just one bunt in its first 12 games. Milwaukee entered the night leading the major leagues with six sacrifice bunts.
With the score 3-3, Trevor Megill (0-2) hit CJ Abrams with a pitch leading off the ninth. Joey Wiemer reached on a bunt single to the third-base side and Luis García hit an RBI single up the middle for a 4-3 lead.
Vivas bunted back to the mound, and Megill’s underhand flip went to the backstop as runners wound up at the corners on what was scored a sacrifice and an error.
Two pitches later, Millas bunted back to the mound for another sacrifice and pinch-runner Nasim Nuñez slid home ahead of Megill’s throw for a 6-3 lead.
Easton McGee replaced Megill, who didn’t get an out, and James Wood hit an RBI double for his fourth hit.
PJ Poulin (1-0) got three straight groundouts in the eighth inning, and Clayton Beeter closed with a perfect ninth to hand the Brewers their third consecutive loss.
Nationals starter Jake Irvin allowed three runs, two hits and five walks in five innings. Milwaukee’s Aaron Ashby gave up two runs and three hits in 2 1/3 innings.
Curtis Mead hit a run-scoring single in the first and scored on Abrams’ double, but Jake Bauers hit a three-run homer in the bottom half, a 428-foot drive to right. Jacob Young’s RBI double off Angel Zerpa tied the score 3-3 in the seventh.
Up Next
Washington’s Foster Griffin (1-0, 2.70) and Milwaukee’s Kyle Harrison (1-0, 2.61) start Saturday in a matchup of left-hander.
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