• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Pena, Zimmerman lead Nationals past Brewers

May 24, 2008 - 3:55 AM By Rich Dubroff PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- Jeff Suppan was cruising along before being done in by an error by teammate J.J. Hardy.

Hardy's miscue in the sixth inning led to a four-run outburst as the Washington Nationals posted a 5-1 triumph over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday.

With one out in the sixth, Suppan walked Felipe Lopez before inducing Cristian Guzman to bounce to shortstop. Instead of starting an easy inning-ending double play, however, Hardy booted the ball, putting runners on first and second.

Ryan Zimmerman then delivered a double to score Lopez and snap a 1-1 tie.

"That's the name of the game in baseball," Zimmerman said. "If you get opportunities like that, especially in the fifth inning or beyond, you have to take advantage of them."

After Dmitri Young was hit by a pitch, Guzman scored on Lastings Milledge's groundout. Jesus Flores capped the rally with a double, plating both Zimmerman and pinch runner Aaron Boone.

"We've always said that hits don't win ballgames, hits with runners in scoring position win ballgames," Washington manager Manny Acta said.

By the time the inning was over, Suppan had allowed four unearned runs, leading to the Brewers' seventh loss in nine games.

"It was just all right around the bag," Hardy said of his game-turning error. "I just tried to be too quick. I tried to turn (a double play) before I fielded it."

Through five innings, Suppan (2-4) limited the Nationals to just one hit - Wily Mo Pena's first homer of the season in the second. Pena had gone 144 at-bats without a blast.

"He's the biggest man on the planet without hitting a homer so far," Zimmerman said. "We joke around with him about it, and he's really starting to have some better at-bats the last week or so."

Suppan, who surrendered five runs, three hits and three walks with four strikeouts, did not feel bad luck was the cause for the loss.

"My job is to go out there and stay in the game as long as I can and make pitches," Suppan said. "Regardless of what happens in the game, I still have to go out there and make pitches."

Brian Sanches (1-0), who struck out three in a scoreless top of the sixth, benefited from Washington's uprising. Sanches, whose contract was purchased from Class AAA Columbus earlier in the day, had relieved Odalis Perez, who allowed just one run in five innings.

"Quick day, I guess," Sanches said. "I had a wakeup call to come here and then dove right into it. It's a great feeling to come here and contribute to a win."

Saul Rivera pitched a perfect seventh, Luis Ayala allowed one hit in the eighth and Jon Rauch tossed a scoreless ninth.

Milwaukee tied the game at 1-1 in the fifth, when Hardy singled with one out, stole second and scored two batters later on Suppan's first hit of the season.