Nationals 5, Brewers 3: Elvis Peguero roughed up in the decisive seventh inning
WASHINGTON – Without question, rookie reliever Elvis Peguero has surpassed expectations for the Milwaukee Brewers this season.
But the right-hander has struggled of late, and a tough seventh inning for him was the difference in a 5-3 loss to the lowly Washington Nationals on Monday night at Nationals Park.
After the Brewers had taken their first lead of the night at 3-2 on a seventh-inning home run by Joey Wiemer, the Nationals came back to score three times off Peguero in the bottom of the inning, a turnaround that sent Milwaukee to its fourth consecutive loss for the first time since dropping six straight from June 8-14.
Wasted was yet another quality start by Corbin Burnes as well as a 10-hit attack by the offense, which put pressure on Washington frequently throughout the night but failed to deliver the big hit.
Earlier in the night, the Brewers swung a trade with the New York Mets for outfielder-first baseman Mark Canha and the Nationals sent their best offensive player, Jeimer Candelario, to the Chicago Cubs.
Christian Yelich is still swinging it
After a mostly quiet series over the weekend in Atlanta in which he tallied two hits – both on Sunday, including a homer – Christian Yelich got back on track with hits in each of his first three at-bats in Washington.
His second knock, a two-out double, led to Milwaukee's first run when William Contreras followed up with a two-bagger off right-hander Jake Irvin.
After a fifth-inning single Yelich's season average sat at .292 before he failed to reach his final two times up.
Corbin Burnes didn't have his great stuff but battled
A homer by Joey Meneses to lead off the Nationals' second put Burnes in an early hole before Yelich and Contreras combined to tie it at 1-1 the next inning.
Burnes didn't record his first strikeout until the third and then did a tremendous job to escape a two-on, nobody out jam in the fourth by inducing a groundout and then striking out Ildemaro Vargas and Corey Dickerson to end the inning.
A one-out walk combined with some uncharacteristically sloppy defense netted Washington the lead at 2-1 in the fifth.
BOX SCORE: Nationals 5, Brewers 3
But again the offense answered, with Andruw Monasterio's one-out RBI single driving in Sal Frelick to tie it. Then, with one out in the seventh, Wiemer took Jose Ferrer out to straightaway center to give Milwaukee its first lead at 3-2.
Burnes went six innings, allowing four hits, the two runs and three walks while striking out five over 95 pitches.
Elvis Peguero hits a rough patch
It was unfair to expect Peguero to keep up the crazy run he had been on as the Brewers' seventh-inning man out of the bullpen.
But for the second time in four outings he was hit hard and actually failed to finish the inning after taking the ball from Burnes.
The trouble began with a leadoff double by Dickerson. Then a walk, sacrifice fly and RBI single by Lane Thomas – his second in as many at-bats – tied it before Meneses drove in the final two runs with his third hit of the day.
It was the 13th appearance of the month and 41st of the season for Peguero (2-4), whose previous career high was 13 set last season.
Brewers schedule coming up
Tuesday – Brewers at Nationals, 6:05 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Freddy Peralta (6-8, 4.46) vs. Washington RHP Josiah Gray (7-8, 3.27).
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Nationals 5, Brewers 3: Reliever Elvis Peguero roughed up again
