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Nationals power past Brewers

Apr 17, 2011 - 9:40 PM Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Danny Espinosa and Ivan Rodriguez both hit a three-run homer to help the Nationals rout the Brewers, 8-4, in the first game of a doubleheader.

Jason Marquis (1-0) pitched seven-plus innings for Washington, allowing two runs on nine hits and one walk. He also struck out four to get the win.

Yovani Gallardo (1-1) took the loss after allowing 10 hits and seven runs in 5 1/3 innings, though didn't walk a batter and fanned five.

Casey McGehee finished 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored for Milwaukee, which dropped the opener of this series on Friday.

Down by two runs, Washington got on the board in the fourth with a sacrifice fly by Mike Morse. It scored Jayson Werth, who had singled and went first-to- third on Adam LaRoche's base hit.

Espinosa then hit a three-run shot to right in the fifth. Alex Cora and Marquis reached base on consecutive singles to set up the homer that gave Washington a 4-2 edge.

Rodriguez added another three-run home run in the sixth to extend the lead.

The Nats completed their scoring with Ian Desmond's line-drive homer in the eighth, making the score 8-2.

Milwaukee threatened with the bases loaded in the ninth, and Ryan Braun hit a towering fly ball off Tyler Clippard that dropped to the ground when second baseman Espinosa lost it in the sun. The infield fly rule was in effect on the play, allowing only Carlos Gomez to score.

Prince Fielder then singled to plate George Kottaras, who advanced to third on the Braun pop-up, but Clippard struck out McGehee to end the game.

Milwaukee took the early lead when a single by McGehee scored Rickie Weeks in the first. Weeks led off the game with a single and moved to third on a Braun base hit.

The Brewers loaded the bases in the fourth, and Gallardo helped his own cause with a one-out single that scored McGehee. But Marquis worked out of the jam by getting Weeks to foul out to first and Craig Counsell to ground out to short.

Game Notes

Weeks extended his hitting streak to nine games with his single in the first...Every starter on both teams got a hit...The Brewers left 10 runners on base.