Milwaukee @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 21, 2015 ) Milwaukee 10, Washington 3

Injuries have played a big role in forcing the Washington Nationals into a battle for first place in the National League East, and the Nationals hope they have not suffered another blow as they host the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. Third baseman Yunel Escobar, hitting .305 in a breakthrough season, left Friday’s series opener after colliding with a fan while chasing a foul ball in the first inning.

After being thumped 10-3 by the Brewers in the opener, the Nationals sit five games behind the New York Mets in the race for a division title many experts anointed to Washington before the season. Since July 30 – when they were 54-46 and led the East by three games – the Nationals have lost 15 of their past 21. The Brewers, who banged out 14 hits in the opener, have won five of their past seven games and are 46-13 when scoring four or more runs. Milwaukee’s Taylor Jungmann pitches against Washington’s Joe Ross on Saturday in a matchup of rookies who made their big-league debuts three days apart this June – four years after being first-round selections in the 2011 amateur draft.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), MASN 2 (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Taylor Jungmann (7-4, 2.23 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Joe Ross (3-5, 3.86)

Jungmann, whom Milwaukee took 12th overall four years ago, made his major-league debut June 9 and has won two of his three August starts after ending July with a pair of losses. The 6-foot-6 hurler beat Philadelphia on Monday with six scoreless innings of three-hit pitching, striking out a career-best nine. Jungmann lost to the Nationals in his second big-league start June 14, allowing two runs in five innings, and has limited opponents to two earned runs or fewer nine times in his first 13 starts.

Ross, who was selected 25th overall by San Diego in 2011 and came to Washington in a December trade, has provided a surprising boost since making his debut June 6. Ross allowed no more than three earned runs while going 3-3 in his first seven starts, but struggled during the Nationals’ West-Coast road trip last week, giving up a combined nine runs in losses to the Dodgers and Giants. Ross earned his first major-league victory June 13 at Milwaukee, holding the Brewers to two runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts in eight innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Washington promoted INF Trea Turner from Triple-A Syracuse Friday; Turner, who grounded out as a pinch-hitter Friday in his debut, hit .322 with 29 steals between Double-A and Triple-A this season.

2. Milwaukee OF Domingo Santana, acquired from Houston in the Carlos Gomez/Mike Fiers trade July 30, was recalled Friday from Triple-A Colorado Springs and homered in the fifth inning.

3. Washington RF Bryce Harper slugged his NL-leading 31st homer Friday; Harper had homered just once in his previous 20 games.

PREDICTION: Nationals 5, Brewers 4