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Gallardo tries to get Brewers back in win column against Nats

Jul 26, 2012 - 2:30 PM (Sports Network) - Mexican-born righty Yovani Gallardo aims to get back to winning tonight when the Milwaukee Brewers host the Washington Nationals in the first test of a four-game series at Miller Park.

Gallardo had won two straight starts and four of five decisions prior to his last outing, which ended in a 6-2 loss at Cincinnati after he gave up nine hits and four runs in 5 2/3 innings.

It was the first time since April that he didn't complete at least six innings and his one strikeout against the Reds was 13 fewer than he'd posted in a 4-1 win over Pittsburgh just six days earlier.

The Brewers are 7-3 in his last 10 starts and 11-9 in all games he's pitched.

Gallardo hasn't faced the Nationals this season, but is 3-1 against them in six lifetime appearances.

Washington, which enters the series with a 4 1/2-game lead in the National League's East Division, sends righty Edwin Jackson to the mound for his sixth career start against Milwaukee.

Born in the former West Germany in 1983, Jackson won 12 games while splitting time last season between the Chicago White Sox and the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals.

He won five of seven decisions with the Cardinals in the season's late going and was 1-1 in four appearances in the postseason with a 5.60 earned run average in 17 2/3 innings.

Jackson signed as a free agent with the Nationals this season and is earning $12 million on a one-year deal. He was just 1-3 in his initial 10 appearances with Washington before winning four of five between June 6 and July 4.

He's lost a pair of decisions since the All-Star break while allowing five runs on 11 hits in 12 innings against Miami and Atlanta.

On Wednesday in New York, Stephen Strasburg struck out 11 over seven solid innings to lead the Nationals past the Mets, 5-2, and complete a three-game sweep at Citi Field.

Strasburg (11-4) allowed a run on four hits and did not issue a walk in Washington's fifth straight win.

"When the lights are on and your facing another team, you want to go out there and make your stuff really dirty," Strasburg said. "I think when I take a step back, relax and just let it happen instead of force the issue it helps out a lot."

Michael Morse, Danny Espinosa and Adam LaRoche each homered in the victory.

Tyler Clippard tossed a scoreless ninth to record his 18th save of the year.

In Philadelphia, after blowing a four-run lead and trailing by one entering the 10th, Carlos Ruiz tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning and Jimmy Rollins followed with an RBI single as the Phillies took a 7-6 win over the Brewers.

Ryan Braun went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run while Rickie Weeks was 4-for-4 with a solo homer for the Brewers, who have dropped a season-high six straight.

Milwaukee starter Marco Estrada was pulled after four innings as he was tagged for five runs on eight hits.

It's been a matter of home field for the Brewers and Nationals thus far in 2012, with each team sweeping a three-game set at home. Washington won three straight in April and Milwaukee took three straight in May. The Brewers have won the season series each year since 2006.