Corbin’s resurgence helps Nationals beat Brewers 4-1
MILWAUKEE – Patrick Corbin came off his slump with a three-hitter in the seventh inning as the Washington Nationals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-1 on Friday night.
Corbin (7-12) struck out seven, did not walk and kept the Brewers scoreless until allowing Avisaíl Garcia a home run on his 92nd and final one-out pitch in the seventh. Corbin entered the night with a 6.04 ERA and had allowed at least four earned runs in his last six starts.
Lane Thomas was 2-for-4 and hit a two-run triple for the Nationals. Kyle Finnegan pitched a scoreless ninth for his fifth save in six chances.
Garcia’s home run was the third in three games and he increased his season total to 24. He hit two home runs Wednesday in the Brewers’ 6-4 victory in 10 innings at St. Louis.
His solo shot Friday was one of three hits the Brewers racked up all night.
The Nationals broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning when Thomas homered two runs on a two-out triple to right field off Brett Anderson (4-7). Thomas had entered the night with a .135 batting average and just one RBI in 35 games.
Anderson allowed three runs, five hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings while striking out three. He left after walking two of the three batters he faced in the sixth inning.
The Nationals extended the lead to 3-0 with a two-out single by Riley Adams to reliever Hunter Strickland. Juan Soto scored from second, sliding to the plate just ahead of Jace Peterson’s shot.
Milwaukee’s Lorenzo Cain walked to send the tying run to the plate in the eighth, but Andrés Machado came out of the bullpen and got Christian Yelich to double play and Omar Narvaez will roll as well.
The Nationals completed the score when Josh Bell walked a bases loaded Jake Cousins in the ninth.
COLBERT’S APPEARANCE
Talk show host Stephen Colbert addressed the crowd while wearing a Brewers jersey as part of an appearance at American Family Field to apologize for the comments he made a year ago.
When the pandemic turned last year’s Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee to go virtual, Colbert did a segment on his show with his own “virtual tour” of Milwaukee that some local residents found insulting.
The Brewers responded via Twitter by inviting Colbert to a back door in Milwaukee. Colbert later apologized to the city and accepted the Brewers’ invitation as long as he could participate in a sausage race.
COACH ROOM
Tyrone Taylor’s Brewers left after four innings with a sore right oblique. Brewers RHP Jandel Gustave, who has been on the COVID-19 disabled list since July 31, is expected to begin a rehab assignment next week.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
The Nationals start with RHP Paolo Espino (3-4, 4.16 ERA) and the Brewers turn to RHP Eric Lauer (4-4, 3.44) as this three-game series continues Saturday afternoon.
