Josh Bell’s three-run home run in a four-run sixth inning led a rare huge outburst from the Washington Nationals in an 11-5 victory against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night.
Nelson Cruz, who homered, rapped four of Washington’s 19 hits, Lane Thomas had three more and scored three times, and Maikel Franco and Keibert Ruiz also homered as the Nationals snapped a three-game losing streak and opened a homestand on a positive note a night after finishing a 3-7 road trip.
Nationals starter Erick Fedde (4-4) went 5 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on four hits with three walks. He struck out four.
The Brewers lost their seventh game in a row despite a home run and three RBIs from Jace Peterson and three hits from Andrew McCutchen.
Aaron Ashby (1-5) took the loss, allowing six runs on 13 hits in 4 2/3 innings.
The Nationals scored in six of their eight innings at the plate. They went ahead for good on Franco’s solo home run in the fourth inning. Bell’s homer was his sixth of the season.
Cruz drove in three runs and scored twice a night after he was scratched from the lineup because of back stiffness. He completed the scoring with a solo home run — also his sixth — in the eighth inning.
Ruiz finished with three hits. All nine batters in the Nationals lineup had at least one hit.
The 11 runs nearly matched Washington’s total of 12 from its previous four games combined.
Peterson gave the Brewers a 2-1 lead with a two-run home run in the second inning. He pulled Milwaukee even at 3-3 in the fourth with a sacrifice fly.
Fedde and Nationals relievers Steve Cishek and Andres Machado combined for 10 strikeouts.
–Field Level Media