The seventh inning changed everything. Washington scored five runs to break a 3-3 tie and defeat Milwaukee 8-6 at American Family Field, turning a back-and-forth slugfest into a decisive statement.
Brice Turang carried Milwaukee's offense with two home runs, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored. His 433-foot blast to center in the fifth inning gave the Brewers a 3-2 lead, but it wouldn't hold. Turang is hitting .298 with three home runs this season.
The seventh inning belonged to Washington. Tena singled to right to score Young and tie the game 3-3. Mead singled to center to drive in Tena and put the Nationals ahead 3-4. Then Wood stole home while Mead stole second, extending the lead to 3-5. House singled to right to score Mead and make it 3-6. Milwaukee answered immediately when Sánchez homered to left center, scoring Turang and Contreras to tie the game 6-6, but Washington wasn't finished.
PJ Poulin earned the win with 1.1 innings of one-hit relief, improving to 2-0 with a 4.00 ERA. Angel Zerpa took the loss for Milwaukee, allowing four runs on four hits in just two-thirds of an inning. His ERA stands at 6.75. Brandon Woodruff pitched well for the Brewers, allowing just one earned run over six innings with six strikeouts.
Washington extended its winning streak to three games and improved to 7-8. Milwaukee's losing streak reached five games as they fell to 8-7.