Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Ryan Zimmerman went 3-for-4 with four RBI
and homered during a six-run fourth inning that lifted the Washington
Nationals to a 12-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers Monday at Nationals
Park.
Jordan Zimmermann also helped the NL East-leading Nationals reduce their magic
number for winning the division to five by tossing 6 2/3 innings and going 2-
for-3 at the plate, including a two-out single during the fourth-inning
outburst that snapped a 1-1 tie.
On the mound, Zimmermann (12-8) held Milwaukee to just one run -- a solo homer
by Corey Hart in the top of the second inning -- and four hits while striking
out seven batters before exiting in the top of the seventh. The young righty
is now 3-0 with a 2.19 earned run average over his last four starts.
Danny Espinosa also finished with three hits for Washington, which earned a
split of this four-game series and extended its margin over second-place
Atlanta in the NL East to five games, while Jayson Werth and Kurt Suzuki each
contributed two hits and a pair of RBI to the rout.
Aramis Ramirez had an RBI double and Ryan Braun went 2-for-4 for previously
hot Milwaukee, which lost for only the second time in its past nine contests
and fell to three games back of St. Louis in the race for the NL's final wild
card berth. The Cardinals visit Houston later on Monday.
The Sports Network